Before It All
by Bluetech
Summary: An "A Day In The Life" compilation focusing on each of the Rio characters. The timeline is set 5 years prior to the film. Each character will get one chapter. It's so much more detailed than this description lets on. Thanks for reading!
1. An Interloper No More

**A/N:**

**I will be using a song from the group Carbon Based Lifeforms for each chapter.**

**Based on what happens in each chapter, I will pick an appropriate song to serve as the theme.**

**You can take a listen to them on Youtube if you want.**

**Well, lets get to the good stuff, shall we?**

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><p><strong>Theme song: Carbon Based Lifeforms-Interloper<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: An Interloper No More<strong>

My internal clock triggered my mind to wind up and my eyes to open, at precisely eight o'clock, on this Friday morning. A familiar sight greeted me as I peered past the bars of my cage: a fair amount of snow piled up against the window of the bookstore.

Reaching up with my right foot, I popped the latch and climbed out, hopping down onto the sturdy wooden counter right behind the window. I expected to be struck with the glare from the snow-covered street ahead, but there was none to be seen. Tilting my head up, I noted the dreary sheet of clouds far above, shadowing most of the light from the sun.

"Well, that explains it."

I then noticed a certain chill in the air, frosty enough to weave past my coating of feathers. As I puffed them out to combat the cold, a loud _thud _registered in my ears. A flattened snowball was sliding down the glass, between the blue "B" and the "L" painted on the same surface.

"Really? I bet it's those two lame _Branta canadensis _again..."

Inching closer to the transparent sheet, I spied two Canada Geese balanced on a nearby bench.

"Go away, Alice and Chloe! Can you not realize that a mere snowball isn't enough to penetrate this practical forcefield?"

A muffled response of, "Yes, we can. We like to annoy you anyways! It's me and Alice's daily routine now!"

I watched as the goose on the left heaved another wad of snow in my direction.

"Whatever. Your shenanigans have no effect on my emotions. Just keep wasting your energy! I pity the fool...or in this case, the _fools_..."

Realizing that Linda was still sleeping, and that I was her official alarm clock, I turned away from the idiot twins and faced the staircase.

I dropped roughly to the floor and began the slow climb up the wooden spiral. After more hops than I could count, I reached the second floor and trotted past Linda's slightly open door.

Using my beak and claws, I clambered up onto the nightstand and then walked onto the oak headboard.

Out of my beak issued a repertoire of various noises, some of which I had replicated from the ambiance of Moose Lake, and others from Youtube searches. A hand then reached up and nudged my head in, prompting me to finish with a car's "alarm deactivation sound."

"Hello. Good morning, Blu..."

After yawning and propping herself up on the edge of the bed, Linda continued, "Today's a very special day! I have a surprise for you downstairs..."

After donning her glasses, she trudged from the room, the floorboards creaking beneath her footfalls. My interest piqued, I bounced off the bed and waddled after her. Upon reaching the energy-consuming staircase, I skidded along the banister and easily reached the end before she.

Dashing into the kitchen, I landed on the cooking island and peered at the refrigerator. July 17th, 2006, was outlined in red, accompanied by lovely script in the interior: _Blu's Tenth Birthday! Don't forget his dessert._

Now understanding the meaning of Linda's previous statement, I mentally face-palmed.

"I completely forgot my own 'birthday!' At least someone managed to remember it!"

The day Linda rescued me from the crate had been designated my new "birthday." Given my former situation, the day I _actually _came into existence will most likely remain forever a mystery.

Linda hurried through the kitchen and off into the living-room, causing my smile to fade, along with an agitated squawk emanating from my beak.

"I'm coming Blu! Hold on, let me find your present and turn on the heater! It's freezing in here..."

Linda returned with an oddly-shaped package, all wrapped up in jungle-themed paper. She placed the distorted gift down next to me, awaiting for my beak to reveal its contents. Instead, I pointed at the fridge with my wing and squawked again.

"What are you-oh, you saw the calendar, huh? You know the rule: no cake until after twelve o'clock. Open your present, and I'll make you some pancakes..."

I shrugged and started tearing through the wrapping with my pointed beak, occasionally picking up a soft jingling. Eventually, the last shreds of paper slid off, and my eyes widened upon seeing what they had hidden. A good-sized golden bell, complete with an attachment hook, rocked back and forth on the linoleum.

I nudged it with my left foot, and the most soul-stirring chime resounded. Unable to contain my joy, I half-fluttered, half-fell to the floor, the bell rattling dully in my left foot.

I hobbled around the corner and over to my cage and shouted, "Linda! I need some help over here."

Light footfalls filled the air, and two gentle hands scooped me up and placed me on the wooden sill. "There you go, Blu. Have fun with your bell!"

"Thanks, Linda!"

I entered my cage and carefully hung the shining ornament from one of the bars on the roof. I tapped it with my beak, utterly infatuated with the lovely sound.

"Linda, this is scintillating! I love this gift!"

I grabbed the bell and shook it around gently for several minutes, until I felt my leg start to get fatigued.

As I relaxed in the cage, Linda arrived with a short stack of silver-dollar pancakes, complete with dabs of butter and thin streams of syrup. She set the ivory plate down on the wood, and then motioned for me to eat.

Before doing so, I extracted myself from the cage and leaped onto her shoulder, nuzzling her affectionately with my head.

"Thank you so much!" I chirped.

She returned the favor with a few brief strokes down my back.

"You're welcome, my big, brave boy!"

I fluttered down to the scrumptious golden circles and proceeded to tear into the topmost one. Reveling in the swirl of flavors, I swallowed a chunk and bobbed my head several times.

"I knew you would like them! They're my treat to you. I think you need some hot chocolate to go along with them..."

Linda vanished back into the kitchen, and ceramic clinking resounded. She soon returned with a stout ceramic mug trailing vapor as she walked.

Placing the mug down next to me, she intoned, "You're welcome, Blu! Six marshmallows, like always..."

She left my sight once again, headed most likely to the kitchen to make her own breakfast.

As I slowly downed the pancakes, punctuated by sips of the warm Swiss Miss chocolate, I couldn't help but muse about the complete redirect my life had undergone.

"It's all so...strange, yet so...peaceful. To think that I once lived over six thousand miles away from here...in the jungle..."

As my mind struggled to dredge up the memories from that distant time, I lowered a half-eaten circle to the plate and gazed out at the dull sky.

"I wonder what my parents were like. Did they enjoy living there? Did _I_ even enjoy living there?"

At that point, my eyes watered as fragments of the disaster returned like a waking nightmare.

_All I could recall is dancing to the joyous chants of the other avian species, and before I knew it, I was falling. My stubby wings were useless against the pull of gravity. Even though I only fell for a few seconds, that feeling was just...terrifying! I guess that's when the seed of my aerophobia was planted in me. Then the cage fell down around me and took me away. After that, all I remember is being trapped in a shaking room, next to a bunch of other birds..._

I tried to wipe away the tears, but with little success.

"Why? What did us jungle birds ever do to humans? Nothing! Nothing that could ever warrant such inhumane treatment! They took me away from a place I barely even knew...took me from loving parents I barely even knew."

As I advanced along the time-line of my young life, the clarity increased slightly.

_No feeling had ever crushed me so completely as the feeling of abandonment. After a dizzying tumble, followed by a smooth stop, I huddled up in the crate that served as my prison, unable think of one solution to my current problem. I guessed that, wherever I was, I would never be reunited with my mother and father. That thought alone was like a spear through my soul..._

My demeanor lightened slightly upon recalling the events that happened next.

"That crate was so cold, so lonely, so confined. Thank God Linda found me," Blu said, the sentence more a breath of relief than actual words. "Fate, dumb luck, doesn't matter…this is my home." I smiled, contentment replacing the pessimistic memories that had been etched into my brain.

I then resolved to finish the rest of my breakfast, being as my owner had entered the business section of the bookstore. Linda walked to the door, disengaged the lock, and flipped the open/closed sign around. I watched as she moved to the left side of the room and slowly began her weekly organizing and clean-up of the shelves.

I noticed that the air temperature had increased, and I felt loads more comfortable than I had earlier. Seeing her all grown up instantly dried my tears, and the more vivid memories of our unified lives flowed back into my brain.

_Her yearly birthdays were always enriching, and I got myself sick most of the time, from eating too much cake._

_Her prom was...well...exciting! Lucas McFadden was her date, a strange boy with a oft-angered expression. He never got used to me sitting on Linda's shoulder. Linda was a decent dancer, but it was very awkward for her and Lucas, being as I was practically fastened to her the entire time._

_Her graduation was relatively uneventful, but I still found enjoyment in that, knowing that Linda would be spending a whole lot more time with me._

_Let's see...five years after that, Linda bought a small little space on Madison Avenue, which would become this very bookstore, the bookstore she had always wanted. I never found out where or how she got the money for the building, let alone the funds for the tons of supplies and the books she would need to fill it!_

_We injected so much time and effort into setting this place up, although in actuality Linda did far more than I, for obvious reasons. Linda's father was often around to help as well, being the handyman that he was. We left the cabinet, shelf, and electrical jobs to him, resorting to handle the less intuitive tasks ourselves._

_My inability to fly made me feel quite left out during the whole process, but I did manage to help Linda place books on the lower shelves and dust from time to time. I had plenty of fun painting the name of the store on the window, which she named in my honor._

_I have to admit, Blue Macaw Books is a very catchy name. It makes me a mascot in a sense!_

_From the moment Linda first displayed the open sign, up until now, life has been pretty easy. Eventually, we set up a daily routine, which has changed little over the past few years._

_A fair amount of people would show up each day to browse Linda's collection, and said people would often comment to Linda about me. I could remember them saying, "What a lovely bird you have!" or, "You two must be very good friends!" and, "I see how this fancy place got its name."_

At that moment, as Linda was straightening the books on the right wall, the front door creaked open, along with the jingling of the bell suspended above it. My musings were stopped cold, and I firmly announced the guest's presence.

"Linda, someone's here!"

A timid-looking woman entered, causing a blast of cold air to cut into my skin. She looked about Linda's height, and her rich black hair was cut short. A hounds-tooth print scarf swaddled her neck, and she wore what looked like dark blue pajama bottoms. A blue jacket completed her attire.

My cheerful chirp caught her attention, causing her to turn and stare at me, her mahogany purse rocking about from the motion.

"Well, hello there little guy! You are a very fancy-looking bird! What's your name?"

"My name's Blu!"

Even though I knew she couldn't understand me on the same level as my owner, I didn't want to fail to return her courtesy. She turned and walked further into the room and was met by my owner.

"I'm Linda. How are you today? Did you come to buy some books?"

"Hello, Linda! I'm Sarah. Do you happen to have any works by Ernest Hemingway?"

"I just might, Sarah. Let me check..."

Linda fired up the computer on the counter a few feet ahead, the one she kept her inventory list on. The staccato clicks of the keys filled the air for a few short seconds.

I heard Sarah say, "Your bird is so handsome! Where'd you get him?"

"His name's Blu, and thank you! I found him on the side of the road, believe it or not! I think he was bound for a pet store, but his crate fell from the truck he was in. That was ten years ago."

"Wow! Sure was a lucky find for you. You two must share a strong bond!"

"Without a doubt. He's the best non-human friend anyone could ever have! Okay, I do have Ernest Hemingway books. Do you have a specific title in mind?"

"Yes. It's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls,' Linda."

"Okay then. Let me see where it is...got it! Follow me..."

She moved away from the counter and marched over to the left wall, scanning the top row of neatly stacked books. She plucked the requested book and returned to the counter. More key clicks followed, and after the bar-code scanner issued a short beep, Linda declared, "12.99, Sarah."

The stout customer dug two clean bills from her purse and placed them in front of Linda.

"Here's fifteen."

Linda popped open the register hidden inside the counter and collected the change.

"Here you go! Have a nice day!"

"You too, Linda! Bye!"

As she reached the door, book in hand, she extended her hand out and patted my head.

"Bye, Blu. Stay warm and cozy, okay?"

"Sure thing! Bye!"

She threw open the door and trotted out, walking in front of the window and disappearing.

"I don't think we'll ever come across anyone who doesn't like you, Blu!" said Linda as she neared me.

"Probably not!" I chirped.

Linda smiled and held her arm out, a signal that had now rooted itself in my brain. I hopped onto her arm, the orange material of her shirt allowing me a firm grip.

She bounced up the stairs and turned right after a short walk down the hallway. She came to a stop in a beige-tinted room, shutting the door gently behind her. I immediately grew ecstatic as I realized that I would be getting a bath.

"Friday is bath day, Blu, and being as it's your birthday, you need to be clean! Are you ready?"

"Yes! Let's go!"

She brushed the shower curtain aside and placed me down in the tub. She cranked on the water, taking her time to adjust the temperature, so as not to freeze or scald me.

"Ahh, nice and toasty!"

She stood up and unhooked the shower head, holding it with her left hand while pulling the switch on the spigot with her right.

Unfortunately, the shower head was pointed towards me, and to both my and Linda's horror, a single stream of water blasted from the center of it. The jet of liquid knocked me off balance and plastered me against the wall of the tub. The jet turned into a omni-directional spray after hitting me, soaking Linda as thoroughly as I.

Amidst the onslaught, I choked, "Linda! Change...the setting! There's water everywhere!"

"Ahhh! Whoops!"

Linda gripped the plastic and rotated it, finally coming to the setting she used for me. I slipped several times before finally coming to my feet, spitting some water from my lungs and coughing.

"Sorry, Blu! I didn't know I had left it on that setting!"

She stared at my body, my feathers now drooping and matted from the weight of the water.

"There's really not much left to wash! Oh well. A gentle rinse wouldn't hurt."

She drew the cascading water over me a few more times, and despite the previous tumult, I relaxed under it. She ran her hands through my feathers, dislodging any foreign particles and grime that had accumulated. After that, she ceased the water flow and replaced the shower head.

Placing me on the floor next to the tub, she wrapped me in a rose-printed towel and left the room to change her sopping clothes.

She came back a few minutes later, wearing comfy jeans and a fluffy short-sleeve shirt.

"Let me dry you, Blu. We need to get back downstairs before someone else shows up."

One scuffle with a towel and assault-by-blow-dryer later, I was back downstairs, perched on Linda's shoulder this time. My feathers were now stout and puffy, and about as blue as a bolt of lightning.

Linda sat down in front of her personal computer, which was off in the living room, left of the TV.

"Ow, Blu! My fingers are broken! How will I ever log on?"

She clutched her fingers, attempting to hold back the laughter behind her display.

"You crack me up, Linda!"

I hopped down onto the desk and pranced along the keyboard, albeit very carefully. Linda clicked the enter button, and after the Windows opening chime, the home screen came up.

The background was a picture of Linda and I in our 2004 Halloween costumes.

Linda threw open a Google Chrome window and went to Yahoo to check her e-mail.

"Hmmm," she muttered as she ran down the inbox list. "Well, nothing important so far! I wonder when your virtual birthday cards will get here. Surely my parents didn't forget!"

"They won't, Linda," I assured her. "They'll probably come later."

She closed out the window and clicked on the iTunes icon. As it loaded, Linda faced me and asked, "What music do you want to hear, Blu? It's your birthday, so I'll let you pick."

A few moments later, it came up, and I pointed at the option that read "My Top Rated."

Linda clicked on that, and song after song filled the screen.

"Put it on shuffle, Linda."

I pointed at the crossed arrows on the lower left, and they turned from black to blue following Linda's mouse action. I jumped on the space-bar, and one of the songs began playing, highlighted by a screen-wide blue bar.

I focused on the screen and studied the randomly picked song.

"Interloper, by Carbon Based Lifeforms. I remember this one."

As the song began, Linda said, "I'm going back into the bookstore! Be careful around the computer, and if you ever need me, you know what to do!"

"Sure thing, Linda!"

As the song progressed, I couldn't help but marvel at the melancholy it carried. I dissected the song mentally, identifying each sound and reveling in their complexity.

"Ahhh. So soothing. The relaxing drumbeat, the sweeping pads, the heavenly chimes..."

The sound-scape streaming from the speakers was of dreamlike quality, pure and true. It was as though it had passed through the wings of an angel before reaching my ears.

I closed my eyes and sat down on the counter, but the chirping of birds coming from outside caught my attention. I depress the space-bar, pausing the song, before moving across the desk and peering out the small window.

A pair of wrens were nuzzling on a nearby streetlight, whistling occasionally. A pang of longing suddenly worked its way into my system.

I had read up on animal behavior in the past, and my guess was that I was seeing a mated pair of birds. In addition, the drive to find a member of the opposite sex, and to well, reproduce, was buried in every animal's biology.

Being as I was as far away from any real jungle, where macaws like me lived, I realized that my drive would probably never be satisfied.

"Will I ever find one of my own species? Will I ever have somebody to like, and even...love, more so than I love Linda? Being as I'm stuck in a tiny bookstore, in a tiny town, my guess would be no."

Even though I had never really pondered it, the thought of never having a mate of my own, kids of my own, caused me unrest. Linda and I were all we had for now, but she would probably find a loving husband in a few years.

She would be truly happy, but I would still be alone, in a sense. As much as I didn't want to, I would have to accept the fact that, years and years from now, I would probably die alone.

Still, I had to stay positive, since adding another worry to my mind was not healthy. Being unable to fly was already enough of a problem.

"I have to focus, clear away the negativity. Miracles do happen, all over the world, every day. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be the recipient of one..."

I left the window and resumed the song, the lovely aura chasing away my worries. Resuming my relaxed position, the song title resonated in my head, and I came to a realization.

The correlation between it and my life was actually shocking.

"A completely random shuffle, and this song comes up. It's almost...scary!"

I paused and tied the meaning of the song to my current state.

"An interloper. Before Linda, that's what I was. An innocent macaw torn between two worlds. True, I was lost, but then I was found. Even though I won't have one of my own species next to me, I still have Linda. Really, that's all that matters. An interloper I was, but now...an interloper no more."

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Don't forget to review/flame!**

**I sincerely thank you for it.**

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><p><strong>Lastly, I have some thanks to give to fellow writer KhallieGurl. As her review states, my chapter had some, well,<em> problems<em>, and she graciously helped me correct them.**

**Even though it is rare to do so, and even rarer for a supposedly "phenomenal" author like me, I decided to rework this chapter in the Document Manager and update it.**

**Thus, the "criticisms" she stated were from my previous wrecked chapter, and no longer apply. But the praise she gave me still does.**

**Everybody makes mistakes, eh?**

**As for the future chapters of this story, you all have my _word _that I will avoid such mistakes.**

***THE Wolf Is Out***


	2. Alone And Loving It

**Theme song: Carbon Based Lifeforms-Flytta Dig**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Alone...And Loving It.<strong>

Down in the glowing green jungles surrounding Rio, on a stout branch protruding from a stately star fruit tree, sat two macaws. Their feathers were nearly identical in hue, and they were carrying on a casual conversation. The chilled air trapped beneath the thick mass of griseous clouds above rendered this early afternoon chat less than ideal.

The male macaw shivered and asked, "So, Jewel, how has your morning been going, aside from the weather?"

"Pretty well, Francisco. What about yours?"

"Just the same. I didn't expect to wake up to this, but hey, we live in a rain forest..."

"Indeed we do. How's your family? Have you visited them lately?"

"They're doing great! I went and visited them yesterday, and to my surprise, there were two eggs in their nest! My mother said she'd laid them three days ago. I'm so happy that I'll finally have some siblings. Being an only child is...lonely, you know. Now, I'll have someone, or rather two someones, to watch over and love..."

"That's nice. I am an only child right now, but I kind of enjoy it."

Jewel then leaned down to preen the underside of her wing, and being as she was distracted, Francisco edged closer to her along the branch.

"Really? Why?"

Jewel lifted her head back and stared at the male, noticing that he appeared closer than before.

"Well...I...it's not that I don't want brothers and sisters, I just like being out by myself, being free."

A discouraged light flashed in his eyes, causing Jewel to blink.

"Oh, I see. Well, nothing wrong with that! Compared to you, Jewel, I have a more...outgoing nature."

"Is something wrong, Francisco? You seem...upset."

He straightened his posture and replied, "What? Me, upset? No, I'm fine!"

"If you say so..."

A soft silence descended around the two macaws, and they were both preening their feathers at the same time. They caught each others movement, and as they slowly raised their heads, their eyes locked.

"Were we preening at the same time?"

"I think so, Jewel!"

"Well, um, that was kind of...funny!"

"I agree!"

Short bursts of laughter emanated from Jewel and Francisco as they turned away from each other. After pausing to breathe, they settled back down, the branch below still quivering.

Francisco stared out into the jungle, not really looking at anything, and said, "What are you going to do today, Jewel?"

"Hmmm. I don't really know! Not many creatures are out and about because of the weather. I guess all I really feel like doing is sleeping!"

"Maybe we can just stay and chat, being as there isn't much else to do. I do enjoy your company, you know."

Jewel blushed internally at the sweet comment.

"That's nice of you!"

"Thanks!"

Francisco gazed at Jewel, taking in her sleek form, along with the delicious scent rolling off of her.

He mused, _She's a very beautiful bird! I wouldn't mind sticking around with her for awhile. I think today's the day I will make my move! First, I need to get her a gift..._

"Jewel?"

"Yeah?"

"Wait right here. I have to go get something from the jungle..."

He leaped from the branch, bouncing Jewel up and down several times.

"Uh, okay! Just be careful!"

As she watched him pierce the foliage and vanish, she realized that he was quite handsome. She hadn't seen very many Spix's Macaws around anymore, and she wondered where they had all gone. As far as she knew, he was the only male in the jungle, and a very decent one at that.

_Maybe he likes me. I have to admit, he certainly isn't shy around girls. He seems just about as confident as I am! But, do I really need to start getting into relationships right now? I'm only ten years old. I don't want to break his heart, but, I just don't feel ready at the moment..._

A nervous look had grown on Jewel's face, and the less-than-inviting air seemed to make her even more jittery.

The increasing flutter of wing-beats caught her attention, and she watched as Francisco landed on the branch with a thump. A dainty tangerine orchid was cradled in his beak, and a caring look was evident on his face. He reached up and transferred the orchid to his foot, allowing him to speak.

"I brought this for you, Jewel! I think it suits you. After all, you are the loveliest bird I've seen for some time."

His endearing words touched her heart, but they also caused a silent pain as well.

"R-really? How sweet...of you!"

"Anytime, Jewel. Now, may I present this orchid to you?"

"Y-you m-may."

He crept along the branch and stopped right in front of her, their chests touching briefly. He returned the orchid to his beak and moved his head to the side of hers. He snuggled the flower amongst her head feathers, marveling at how the orchid complimented them. He drew back and studied her for a few moments.

"Now you look beautiful! That orchid really does suit you, Jewel. For the past few days that we've met, I knew there was something special about you. Granted, you are pretty, but that's only the outside. Even though you say you prefer being alone, I think we'd be happy together. I want to get to know you better..."

He leaned forward and stuck a gentle kiss on her cheek, a determined fire burning in his eyes.

"_Você vai ser minha namorada?_" **{Would you be my girlfriend?}**

His question buzzed in her head, bringing along a wave of adoration, but also a wave of shame.

She hung her head and whispered, "_Eu sou...só não está pronto para um relacionamento sério agora. Por favor, entenda... _" **{I'm...just not ready for a serious relationship right now. Please understand...}**

Craning her neck to look at him, she saw him slump visibly, bewildered by her reply. The once confident macaw was reduced to a shocked, stuttering mess.

"B-b-but, Jewel! You're the only other f-female around! I don't know what happened to the rest, but they're gone! Who else am I going to p-protect? Why can't we just be together? I thought you l-liked me..."

"I do, Fransisco! It's just that...I would rather fly solo. I'm so sorry. Can we still be friends?"

"But I want to be _more_ than just friends! I don't want to live alone..."

"You won't be truly alone, buddy. You have my word that we can still be friends!"

A flicker of hope glowed in his eyes, and although he was still depressed by her refusal, he hugged her gently.

"I understand, Jewel. If that's truly how you feel, I won't push the issue. Thank you for being...my friend!"

"No problem. I think I can say I enjoy your company too!"

A graceful smile lit up his face in response.

After several more reflective minutes of silence, Jewel declared, "Hey Francisco?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to go now. I have a feeling that the rain is about to come down, and I don't want to be caught out in it!"

"I think I feel it too! Well, can we meet up again tomorrow?"

"Sure!"

"Oh wait, I was going to go visit my parents' house tomorrow. Meet me here after your breakfast and I'll take you there."

"Sounds like a plan, my friend! See you around!"

"Bye, lovely Jewel..."

Jewel took off from the branch and cut into the jungle, a warm tingle in her mind. She adored Francisco about as much as he adored her, but their friendship was platonic, and that's how she wanted to keep it.

She knew little about liking and loving someone, besides her own parents, but that was okay with her. She valued her solitude, her freedom, and if that meant she would be spending her life away from other males, then that's just how it would have to be.

Her previous talk had absorbed the energy she had obtained from breakfast, and she felt that some nice food would help ease her internal shame.

As she flew on towards one of her favorite fruit gathering spots, fat drops of rain began pelting her entire body.

"Oh great. Just what I needed to help lift my mood..."

She wound her way through the trees, growing more and more soaked by the minute. Eventually, she found what she was looking for: a small grove filled with various species of fruit trees. She landed in the crown of a stubby mango tree, since the strongly-hued shapes at her feet had long established themselves as her favorite.

The rain blurred her vision, preventing her from getting a good look at the fruit. In her early years, she discovered that eating unripe or overripe fruit did not go over well with her digestive system. Picking mature fruit was a task she took seriously, for she did not want to relive the days and nights she had spent in random hollows, her stomach cramping and burning for hours on end.

"I can't even see what I'm doing! Uh...I'll take this one!"

She grabbed it with her right foot and pulled, but try as she might, the mango was stubborn and would not separate from its parent tree. Her foot was proving ineffective, so she leaned down and tried to use her beak to snip the stalk.

So distracted was she that she took no notice of the emerald form crawling up behind her. She heard a rustling sound behind her, causing her to freeze and turn around.

A rain-gilded boa sprouted from the tree, a poisonous look in its eyes.

_"Merda!"_ she yelled. **{Shit!}**

The snake's tongue flicked in and out as it hissed, "You look tasssty! I need a sssnack to help warm me up. It'sss very cold outssside..."

_I'm not leaving without that mango!_ _I came here for one, and I'm leaving with one, snake or no snake._

She tensed her muscles, knowing what was to come next. The snake lashed out at her, but it had been rendered clumsy by the chilled weather and she easily dodged, but the slippery leaves caused her to lose her footing.

She landed on the muddy ground below, and to her surprise, the mango plopped down just next to her face.

_Today must be my lucky day..._

Without hesitation, she picked her muddy body up and snatched the mango with her left foot.

"Come back, little bird. The fun isss jussst beginning!"

She faced the snake, who was oozing down the side of the tree in her direction.

"Hah! The only one getting a meal today is ME!"

She sprang into flight, leaving the snake's second strike to cut only into thin air.

By now, she was weary, not to mention soaked, and she knew that she had to find some shelter. Thankfully, the steady downpour had rinsed her feathers clean of the gooey mud, a fact she took a small amount of joy in.

She left the grove and danced through the jungle, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of a hollow that she could use.

An odd deformity graced the trunk of a towering cannonball tree off to her right, and she immediately turned and flew towards it. A good-sized hole appeared, and with a triumphant smile on her face, she drifted in and alighted down just inside.

However, odd sounds entered her ears, causing her to look up. Towards the other end of the hollow were two Military Macaws, and Jewel flinched as she realized that what she was seeing was definitely not safe for chicks. The two olive-tinted birds were apparently involved in a round of love-making, and Jewel had barged in on them.

_There goes my good luck..._

She noticed that the bird underneath the other had caught sight of her, and its once-dreamy eyes flew wide open.

The bird shouted, "Who...are you! What are...you DOING here?"

The bird, a female, jumped to her feet, throwing the male off in the process.

The male picked himself up and joined the female, and both were now advancing on Jewel, their previous pleasure shadowed by anger and confusion.

"What kind of...sick bird are you? Do you have no respect for me and Yarah's PRIVACY!" queried the male.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just t-trying to get out of the r-rain! I didn't k-know a-anyone lived here!"

"Well, now you do. So GET OUT!" they both yelled.

"Okay! I'm out!"

Mango in talon, she turned and fled the fuming macaws, ending up back in the unforgiving rain. The flurry of emotions she had experienced over the past hour had drained her mind and body, and she wanted to simply find a hollow and sleep.

After fifteen more exhausting minutes of flying, she finally found another hollow, high up in a tree at the base of a cliff. A gentle waterfall streamed down a few feet away.

After landing in the quiet space, she dried herself as much as possible and reached up to feel her head. Somehow, the flower had stayed rooted amongst her head feathers, but as she pulled it out, she saw that the rain had deformed it severely.

_Oh well. I still have his gift, and it's still as pretty as ever. I think I'll start putting flowers in my head feathers from now on! It'll be my little tradition..._

She sighed andwalked to the far wall, placing the mango and the limp flower neatly up against it. She then threw her damp body against the soft wood. She sighed and shut her eyes, content that she could finally relax. She fell into a pleasant nap, hoping to recharge and wait out the storm in the process.

* * *

><p>Many hours later, she awoke, feeling much better than earlier, but now deathly hungry.<p>

_Man, my stomach is like a cave! That mango should keep me satisfied until tomorrow._

She heartily ate the firm fruit, savoring the feeling of the sour insides sliding down her throat and into her stomach.

After finishing her meal, she trotted over to the lip of the hollow and peered out. The rain had indeed stopped, but the cloud cover, now invisible in the darkness, had prevented the atmosphere from warming.

She fluffed up her semi-dry feathers and listened to the sound of the waterfall, now louder due to the previous rainfall augmenting the flow.

"I think today tops the list of my craziest days ever! I let a potential lover down, dodged a hungry boa, got caught in the rain, and walked in on two Military Macaws getting intimate! _Pelo menos agora eu posso finalmente ter um pouco de paz..._" **(At least now I can finally have some peace...}**

For the third time, Jewel preened her feathers, spending a third of an hour doing so. She was not fond of looking messy, and she felt like she had a certain "obligation" to live up to her name.

_Well, _she thought, _my parents_ _named me Jewel for a reason! When was the last time I visited them? Oh yeah, four days ago. I think I'll head over to their nest tomorrow. Wait, I'll be with Francisco tomorrow! I'll have to postpone the visit. Hmmm, I wonder how they're coming along? Mama said they were looking forward to more eggs this year. Maybe I'll get a surprise, just like Francisco! Oh, Francisco..._

Her heart ached as she recalled her dismissal of his advances. In the wake of their meetings, she did feel something between them, but it wasn't as strong as she thought. Besides, her _want _of a relationship was shadowed by her _need_ to live free, unbound to others.

_If you're out there, wherever you are, I apologize for splitting us apart. Even if you can't find a macaw of our species to love, I'm sure you'll find someone else..._

As she stared out at the water-stained jungle, cold and quiet, Jewel realized the true feeling of loneliness. There was no one to talk to, no one to hug, no one to relax with.

However, the initial sting of the feeling was converted to something more positive.

On the other end, there was no one to break her heart, no one to fight, and no one to annoy her.

Feeling ready for a true journey into sleep, she returned to the far wall and nestled up against it, resting her head and right wing against the damp wood.

Whether she would meet another like Francisco, or spend her life out on her own, was mostly up to her. Even if she did carry a deep desire for a mate and children, she felt that the second option was how she wanted to live.

_Who knows, that all may change, _she cautioned herself. _But for now, I am alone, and I am loving it..._

As her body wound down and she shut her eyes, she found deep peace in her last thought.

* * *

><p>As the night whirled by outside, she found herself in a dream, a strange dream. Amidst a hazy expanse of white, on a small crooked fence, a misty figure perched. No matter how hard she tried to fly closer, the figure receded in response.<p>

She could not make out any features beside the fact the shape was a bird, dressed in electric blue feathers. Her efforts futile, she landed on the white surface, causing the cold grains to shuffle and shift around her feet.

She had never felt such a strange sensation before, and on top of that, she had no clue as to what the substance was called.

The grains pricked and chilled her feet, but so mystified was she by the creature ahead, she pushed it to the back of her mind.

She stared at the semi-distant shape and called out, _"Who are you?"_

The shape did not move, but she heard a voice echo out across the land.

_"My identity is a secret. For now, you are alone, but one day we will meet. Together, you and I will be complete. Sleep well, Jewel. In five years, an adventure awaits us..."_

The blue figure fragmented into thousands of snowflakes and drifted away in the breeze.

* * *

><p>Had one been in the hollow with Jewel, that entity would have noticed she would twitch and mutter every few seconds, and it was quite an amusing display.<p>

In the entrance to the space, a winged figure sat. He walked across the floor, ran a spectral wing over the sleeping female, and whispered, "Five years, my angel..."

After his words dwindled back to silence, the figure smiled and was then exiled from reality.

In the midst of her direction-less wandering in the land of white, Jewel was awoken by a ghostly touch. As she jumped to her feet and threw open her eyes, she realized that she was the only presence around.

"That was...odd. Now what could he mean by 'My identity is a secret'? And what kind of adventure will we go on? Did he actually say we would meet, and be complete? Hah! I'd_ love _to see that happen..."

Shaking away the implausibility of the dream and the cryptic words she had heard, she nuzzled back against the wall and drifted off to sleep once more.

This time, she did not dream, only smiling intently as she dozed under the stars.


	3. A Canary And A Cap

**Theme song: Carbon Based Lifeforms-Neurotransmitter**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3:A Canary And A Cap<strong>

Deep in the jungle, on one rather ordinary afternoon in Rio, grew a twisted cannonball tree. That very tree contained a hollow near the crown, and inside that hollow, a solitary bird was napping.

From head to tail, his feathers blazed like the sun above, the most strongly-hued yellow shade imaginable. He lay sprawled out on the floor, his chest rising and falling at a steady rate.

Suddenly, as if he received some subconscious cue, he stirred from sleep and daintily jumped to his feet. He rubbed his eyes with his wings and hopped over to the exit, staring out at the verdant jungle all around.

_Oh man. It's already the afternoon! That party at The Palm last night sure was crazy!_

The memories from the day before rushed upon him, and a content smile grew on his face.

The many performances he witnessed, the singing and dancing, the energy crackling in the air... it was enough to exhaust any species of bird. For his tiny canary body, that was especially true.

However, after his first visit to a club three years ago, he knew he would never be able to stop. Clubbing was a part of his life now, and not one day did he grow tired of it.

He hopped around from venue to venue, testing them out and seeing what they had to offer in terms of entertainment and style. So far, The Palm was his favorite, and he had basically became its regular guest.

The owner, a towering Spoonbill named Kipo, had formed a strong bond with Nico, and he often invited him when a new gig was planned.

Even though Nico admired the skill and charm of the performers, he was hesitant to land on that stage and do the same. He had always longed for a partner to accompany him, be it male or female, to help ease his insecurity. So far, he had not found one yet, and so he preferred to _watch_ instead of _being watched_.

To add to it, he was never fond of how his head feathers looked. They were short and scruffy, and he often thought of them as underdeveloped. He felt like he needed to hide them from the eyes of others, but the means to do so had eluded him. Perhaps, in time, he would find some small trinket that would do the job, but for now, he coped.

Despite the tumult of the previous night, he decided that he would return to The Palm later on this evening.

_Man, I gotta head back there tonight! Word is, a new guest is plannin' to show up, some cardinal by the name of... uh... dang, can't remember. Oh well, I'm bound to find out!_

Moments after concluding his thought, his stomach rumbled louder than he thought possible. It felt like his stomach had been turned into a cave overnight, a cave that was now yearning to be filled.

_Well, if I'm gonna __have enough energy to go _anywhere_, I better eat somethin'!_

With that, the canary launched himself out into the steamy jungle air, weaving through the trees in search of a plentiful meal. After a short five-minute flight, he spots a grove of assorted trees under a gap in the canopy.

_Yes! Got me some grub! Good thing I found some. Don't have much energy left in me..._

He plunked down onto the branch of a star-fruit tree and tore one off with his foot. Without hesitation, he gobbled it up in four measured bites. His hunger barely quenched, he followed the first with two more, leaving his belly visibly distended.

He moved back into the crown of the tree and buried himself among the leaves.

_Man am I _*hiccup*_ full! I don't think flying around like this is a good _*hiccup*_ idea. Maybe I should crash a while and burn some of this off. _*hiccup*.

Indeed, the deliciousness of the fruit, coupled with the sunlight he was basking in, placed him in a pseudo-inebriated state. He drifted off into a deep sleep where he lay, somehow managing to stay unconscious despite his frequent hiccups and burps.

Normally he would never have slept in such a precarious spot, but nature, along with a little luck, kept him safe. The burning heat enfolding the jungle forced nearly all of the predators to seek shade.

One daring python was out and about, but due to Nico's position, the winding snake slithered over the tree, oblivious to the napping canary just below.

The sun rolled across the sky, and the shadows crated by the canopy gap crept across the grove in response. The fiery orb that heated the Earth now sat low in the west, a blazing orange circle scraping the horizon.

Nico was awoken - quite suddenly, no less - by the raucous screams of a family of macaws as they flew above the gap, causing him to spring awake and tumble from the tree. He landed on the ground with a thud, taking in the state of the jungle now that his mind was clear.

_Hmmm. It's evening now. That nap really did me a favor!_

He stared down at his belly, noticing it was no longer bulging, but still pleasantly full. His hiccups were no longer present, having faded away during his nap, much to his relief.

His body felt rested and charged with energy, and if his previous visits to The Palm taught him anything, he was going to need it.

_Well, now I feel good! I need to head on over to the club and see who's poppin' tonight. Most of all, I wanna see what that cardinal's gonna do!_

After giving himself a quick dust-off, he spiraled into the air and tore towards the city, his mind yearning for the excitement he would soon be a part of. After exiting the lush expanse of the jungle below, Nico weaved his way across the city, which was now slowly winding down due to the approach of nightfall.

Light was spilling from the street-side restaurants, and the gentle chatter of the diners sitting outside could be heard as it drifted up to him. The gentle rumbling of the vehicles below was soothing rather than disturbing, but it had little effect on Nico's upbeat emotion.

He spotted the familiar tin roof of the club, nestled behind a stately bay-side hotel. He folded his wings and went into a rapid dive, pulling up just before turning himself into a bloody mess on the pavement.

As he neared the club, he could already hear the dull thumping of drums, and even now, it was too uplifting to resist. With renewed vigor, Nico bounced over to the building and found his way inside.

A myriad of birds were arranged all over, some on the floor and the others on crates. A Military Macaw was the current entertainer, and his steady vocals were apparently well received, as evidenced by the dancing going on all around.

Nico may be less-than-willing to socialize in _that _manner, but he still had friends, one of which he hoped would be somewhere in this typhoon of sensory stimulation.

_I wonder if Nathan decided to show, _he mused. _There's no way that dude would dare not show up, especially on a big night like this!_

Making his way through the jostling sea of feathers, he hopped his gaze from table to table, looking for his Scarlet Macaw buddy. As he neared the bar, he heard someone yell his name, barely audible over the noise in the club. Nico turned to his right, and two tables away, he saw Andrew waving his wing happily.

Nico trudged past the crowd and sat down next to his friend.

"What's crackin', bird!" greeted Nico as he punched Nathan's wing - a punch that had no effect on the sizable macaw.

"Nothing much! Just waiting for that cardinal to show. You heard about him right?"

"Yeah, I did. What's his name? I can't remember."

"Uh...Pete...Papi...Pedro! Yeah, his name's Pedro!"

"Pedro, huh? Do you think he'll be any good?"

"Can't know that until he gets here! Still, this club seems to attract the good guys in town, so I guess we don't have to worry about mediocre talent."

"Heck yeah!"

During their conversation, the Military Macaw had finished his performance, accompanied by lavish praise from the audience. Kipo himself had appeared on the stage and given his thanks. The Spoonbill then announced the next guests, two Lear's Macaws by the name of Heather and Jonas.

After a brief lull in the music, a steady samba beat wound up, and the two macaws began dancing across the stage. Nico turned away from display and stared at Andrew.

"When do you think Pedro will show?"

"I don't know, Nico. Kipo's keeping it a secret. He's going to show up tonight, but nobody knows when!"

"Well, he better hurry! The anxiety is killin' me..."

The canary and macaw passed the time by chatting and catching upon each others' recent activities.

After three more songs had passed - unbeknownst to the two birds who were too busy talking - Kipo returned to the stage and announced the arrival of tonight's featured guest.

Nico and Nathan instantly broke off their conversation and fixed their eyes on the stage.

The music paused once again, and a stout-but-confident cardinal appeared. His head and part of his chest were dressed in scarlet feathers, made apparent by the spotlight that now bathed him.

"Yo yo yo! My name's Pedro, and I'm here to rock the show! I've been to a few clubs around town, but this one seems to be the most kickin' place yet! Are you guys ready to get crazy?"

The club responded with a unified, "Bring it, Pedro!"

"Alright then, let's hit it!"

The band poured out a classic samba beat, but accompanied with Pedro's smooth beak-work, was anything but.

"Man, he's awesome!"

"Got that right, Nathan. This guy's a natural! Kipo sure picked the right bird for the job!"

The energy in the club soared to new heights as Pedro rapped to the beat, and the flurry of the spotlights intensified the heat of the moment.

After one last verse, Pedro did a flip in the air and dropped back onto the stage in a slick pose.

"My name's Pedro, and don't forget it! See you guys 'round!"

With that, the charismatic cardinal vanished from the stage, and the applause that followed was almost deafening.

Kipo then returned to the wooden structure and thanked the brave bird, inciting another round of squawks, whistles and hollers. He announced that that was the final performance of the night, but the club would remain open for several more hours.

The excitement settled to a decent level, and the birds turned to converse with one another.

"So, is he _good_, Nathan?"

"Do I really have to answer? One of the best I've seen in a _long _time!"

"I gotta agree with you there! This is a night I won't be forgettin' for years!"

_And maybe, just maybe, _Nico mused,_ I've got myself the singing partner I've always wanted. I gotta go ask him before he leaves!_

"Yo, Nathan?"

"What's up, my little yellow buddy?"

"You know how I've always wanted to sing, but I didn't want to do it alone?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I think Pedro's the perfect bird to ask!"

The Scarlet Macaw's eyes went wide with his statement.

"Really! You're gonna ask that guy!"

"Why not? He's perfect!"

"I don't know man. Are you sure he isn't too far above your level?"

Nico gave Nathan a second unregistered punch at the joke.

"Only one way to find out. I'll catch you later!"

"Take care Nico! I hope you win him over."

Nico jumped down from the table and made his way back through the crowd, now very still as compared to earlier. He exited the club and kept his eyes peeled for the cardinal. He circled the club, once, twice, but Pedro was nowhere to be seen.

_Man, I gotta find him. I don't want to wait another day to ask him. He might not even come back to this place for days!_

The edgy canary hopped past the hotel that hid the club and made his way to the street that ran in front. Staring up at the moonlight sky over the bay, he searched for the silhouette of the cardinal.

_Man, where is he? He might have just left The Palm. He-_

A distant wail swept down the street, reaching Nico's ears as it passed.

"What the?"

Nico turned to the left and peered down the street, now painted with the light from the shops and restaurants along its length. Near the limits of his vision, he saw a truck swerve around the distant curve in the road, followed by three police cars, their lights strobing and their sirens blasting.

Nico saw a figure emerge from the passenger side window and point something at the trailing vehicles. Moments later, the figure was lit up by the flashes from the assault rifle he brandished. The strings of gunshots fractured the silence, causing the roadside diners to flee inside the restaurants.

Nico scurried to the edge of the building to his left, peering past the corner at the pursuit unfolding just ahead.

The trembling-but-excited canary watched as the police cars swerved to avoid the hail of bullets. The gunman paused to reload, and the officer just behind the truck made a move.

Roaring up beside the latter, a powerful nudge caused the truck to fishtail. The back end of the truck skidded onto the pavement, took out some of the dining tables, and then skidded back onto the road.

However, the driver over-corrected, and the truck toppled over and proceeded to barrel roll down the street.

Nico screamed, "Woah!" as the wrecked truck rolled past him in a storm of glass, crunching metal, and awful sounds. The police cars slowed somewhat and pursued the criminal, vanishing in front of the nearby hotel, their sirens still audible.

_That was some crazy stuff! But where's-_

Nico was cut off again by a second screeching sound. The remnants of the tables from before tumbled and scraped their way past Nico, coming to a stop right in front of him and his hiding place.

The trembling canary neared the twisted mass of metal and shards of glass.

_Man, that was...amazing! Scary, but amazing!_

The sirens had vanished, for the criminal had been apprehended, and Nico whacked the mass with his wing.

A soft clinking sound manifested, and a round shape tumbled out. It landed on the ground, rolled to his feet, and fell over.

"Oh man, check it out! It's a...bottle cap!"

Nico picked up the circle before him and inspected it. The underside was a shiny silver, and the other was a soft green, decorated with regularly-spaced wavy blue lines.

He flipped it around with his wings and tossed it into the air. After catching it, he lifted it onto his head and slowly, delicately, set it down.

The cap neither slid off from his head nor did it obscure his vision. In short, it was perfect.

Nico removed it gently and stared at the upper surface.

_What are the odds? This thing is so...cool! This is just what I needed!_

Nico smiled widely and replaced the cap, loving the feel and fit of the tiny circle. Amidst his joy, his thoughts returned back to the target of his search: Pedro.

He scanned the sky once again, and he noticed a round shape gliding in front of him a few feet away, above the street.

_I got the hat, and now I'll get the bird... _thought Nico as he jumped from the ground and took off after the skilled cardinal.


	4. A Literal Party Animal

**Theme song: Carbon Based Lifeforms-Photosynthesis**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4:A Literal Party Animal<strong>

As he strutted from the rioting club, cloaked in a shroud of vanity, he felt on top of the world. His previous performance had left said club wild with excitement, and _he_ was the sole cause.

The red-headed Cardinal known as Pedro, the paragon of partying, climbed into the rose-like air and made haste across the city. He was the harbinger of good times, better music, and the best entertainment one could hope to find in Rio.

As such, Kipo had planned this morning show just for Pedro, something he had rarely done before, and opted to leave The Palm open until the deep of night, when the stars beseech the sun and shine like the eyes of the gods.

However, his divine skill was limited by earthly constraints, and the rotund cardinal was in a state of exhaustion.

He made good time across the mosaic of yellow, silver, and red roofs below, all the while steadily approaching the green-and-gold patchwork of the jungle.

The rushing and roaring of the stirring city faded, sucked up by every innocent leaf, tree, and vine.

Pedro drifted through the greenery, his stubby wings keeping him aloft, while he searched for a suitable resting place. Soon, the hollow of a towering banana tree opened directly in his flight path, resembling the maw of a hidden beast ready to ensnare its prey.

_Finally, _shouted Pedro mentally. _Now I can have a rest!_ _Clubbin' is fun, but sometimes it wants to kill you!_

After landing upon the smooth floor, Pedro took the time to perk up his feathers. Upon completion of that task, he fell quickly into his personal pool of dreams with the intent of recharging and killing a few hours of daylight.

His silent musings brought back the tumult of vibes and euphoria from his earlier performance, but he soon found himself dreaming of an entity that subjugated even that: Maria.

Pedro had met the female cardinal just two months prior, but their union was lethargic in terms of acceptance.

Their affection did not ignite like a flare from the sun; it instead grew warmer and warmer in the manner of a freshly-lit candle.

They took the time to understand each other and delve through the layers of personality they harbored. In that stretch of time, Pedro had grown quite fond of Maria, and she returned that fondness with silken earnest. She had burrowed into his mind, a stubborn root that dared not to withdraw, and she always revealed herself in his dreams.

In the midst of his dreamy revels, he decided that today was the day to approach her formally and ask her to be his girlfriend. It was his way of "taking it to the next level," - quite practically so - and he would not fail.

The time he spent in his dreams was somewhat lengthy, and the ineffable sphere of light above had arced well past the zenith. As if Pedro's mind had developed sight and witnessed the progression of the sun, it tore him from sleep and forced his body to resume normal activity.

He sat up, blinking his eyes and yawning immensely.

_It's time for me to put the moves on Maria!_

His stomach growled in response, warning him that his hunger took priority over any amorous exploits.

_But first,_ cautioned Pedro as he grinned, _I gotta get me some good old-fashioned fruit!_

Standing up tall and proud - tall for a cardinal, at least - he puffed out his chest and bounced from the hollow, rising into a steady flight amongst the sizzling afternoon heat.

_Perfect day for a heat wave!_

The sarcasm in his voice was almost visible.

As much as he wanted to fly faster and find shade, he would give the weather no opportunity to affect him even deeper.

He swiveled his field of vision left and right, scanning for the telltale flashes of fruit nestled in the trees. Eventually, a stubby berry bush revealed itself, a few feet ahead and shaded by a stately banana tree.

He spiraled down and dropped heavily onto the bush, causing it to tremble beneath him. He gazed at the delicious and inviting spheres dispersed around the shrub, and his actions fell under the control of his stomach.

He gobbled up the berries two by two, but his already plump belly took little notice. He ate twelve berries, enough to satiate his hunger, but not enough to bulge his belly and render him unsightly.

After wiping his beak clean and preparing to re-enter the atmospheric oven, he lifted into flight. Regardless of the moisture-sapping heat he now experienced, he would gladly suffer through it to see Maria.

She frequented a small pond formed by the actions of a small waterfall, and it was near that pond that she had made her home. Pedro had visited her many times previously to conduct friendly chats, and its location had been ceremoniously etched into his memory.

He navigated the sweltering jungle with skill, despite the effects of the warmer-than-average day. His journey took longer than he had first expected, and although it consumed fifteen minutes, to him it was nearly an hour.

He came across the target pool of water, and without hesitation, launched himself at it. A generous splash resulted, and his overheated body was quickly cooled off. After a few quick douses of the liquid, he stepped from it and allowed himself to air dry.

His thoughts whirled again to Maria, and as he scouted the area, he heard rustling from his right. Following the length of the six-foot mango tree, he spied a crimson shape peering out from a hollow near the crown.

"Pedro? Is that you?"

"Yo, Maria! How you been!"

He fluttered up and alighted on a branch just beneath the opening.

"I've been great! You know, I was just planning to go look for you, but you beat me to it! Come on in."

Her gentle accent stirred Pedro's blood on cue, an effect that had never diminished since the first time he saw her.

"Thanks, Maria!"

Pedro waddled into the space after her, and not knowing how long he would be here, he got himself comfortable.

"So, how have you been, handsome? What brings you here on this hot day?"

"This morning, I rocked the club for Kipo, and he is probably going to plan more morning shows for me. It's been a good day so far! Still, I came to ask a certain hot-wing a serious question."

"Really? Well, what do you want to ask me, mister Pedro?"

He assumed a more proper stance and drew close to her.

"I knew you was a hot wing from the first day I saw you. You got some beak, girl! Do you mind if I ask you to be my love-hawk? Pedro and Maria, the cardinal couple of Rio! How about it, girl?"

Her crimson feathers, much darker than his own, prevented her blush from being visible. He stared deep into her chocolate eyes, silently willing her to accept his offer, his heart bursting with anticipation.

"Well, something strange happens every time I see _you_, big man. I don't know what it is, but I will never grow tired of it. So, the answer to your question is...yes. I'll be your love hawk!"

Pedro swooned and fell to the floor, unbridled elation being the cause. He blinked and stared up at his new girlfriend, who was standing over him with a look of gentle concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Just fine, Maria. It's just so crazy! Just think what Kipo would say!"

He stood up and gripped her softly with his wings, to which she replied, "Who's Kipo, handsome?"

"Kipo is the Spoonbill who owns and runs The Palm. That's the club I was at this morning. It's the best one I've visited so far! I was going to go back there tonight. Do you want to come, pretty Maria? I can introduce you to him."

"To a club? I don't know, Pedro. I haven't been to one in awhile, since I'm not much of the party type to be honest!"

"Oh, it'll be sweet, Maria. There's singing and dancing, great samba music, and lastly, me! Just try it out. The Palm is the best club in Rio!"

"Well, if you put it that way, I don't think I can refuse! Fine, big boy, I'll go with you and meet this Kipo fellow. When will we be leaving?"

"Thanks, Maria! We can leave before the sun sets. We need to have a little time to chat with Kipo."

"Sounds good. What do you want to do until then?"

"Since it's so hot today, why don't we just sit and talk?"

"I'm down with that!"

Safely sheltered from the heat, the two cardinals whiled away the hours in deep conversation, bringing up topics spanning from the mundane to the intriguing.

When they had run out of ideas to converse about - much like a banker who had just settled a pricey deal - they drifted off to sleep, wing in wing.

Unconscious of the sun's steady pace, they slept late, and Pedro's lovestruck mind had been too infatuated to wake him.

They had been slumped against one another, and as time passed, their bodies slowly moved under the influence of gravity. Finally, they were no longer in sufficient contact to resist the pull, and they parted rather quickly and hit the floor.

The jolt of pain woke them both, and after making their discomfort known, they rubbed their heads and peered out of the hollow. The jungle was no longer lit up by the rays of the sun; now it appeared as a murky, shadowed land, like the land that would harbor a haunted house.

"Oh man!" shouted Pedro. "The sun's already set! We gotta get going, Maria!"

He pulled her to her feet and dashed for the entrance, leaving her stumbling in his wake. He instantly took off for the city, his wings beating the velvet air of night. Maria rolled her eyes.

"He must hate to be late! Well, I better hurry after him. He'll be wondering what happened to his love-hawk..."

Beating her wings, she eventually caught up to her boyfriend, who took no notice of her absence.

After a refreshing trek out of the jungle and into the bustling night-mode of Rio, they located the bay and glided above the road that hugged it.

The myriad of vehicles that motored on by below were barely visible in this moonless night. The twin headlights of each one bustled back and forth like self-propelled ghostly beams.

Eventually, the familiar facade of the hotel loomed into view, and the two birds descended towards the rear of it, where the famous club was planted. Upon landing on the pebble-filled asphalt, the two cardinals stopped to catch their breath.

"Is this...the place?"

"Yes...Maria. We're here! Let's rest for...a few minutes."

After said rest was completed, they made their way around the rear of the club to a hidden entrance, an entrance only he and Kipo used. They slipped past a mock piece of aluminum - which appeared unified with the entire rear wall - and found themselves in a decent-sized room.

"Kipo? Hey, Kipo! Where you at!"

The bird in question responded at once to the queries, and he loomed into view from around a corner.

"Pedro! My old buddy! How have you been? And who's this charming bird next to you?"

"I've been rollin' just fine, dude! Kipo, this is Maria. Maria, this is Kipo. She's my new girlfriend."

"Pleased to meet you, Maria," exclaimed the Spoonbill as he shook wings with the diminutive cardinal.

"Likewise, Kipo! Pedro is quite the handsome bird, and I think he's worth spending time with. Worth spending _a lot_ of time with, actually!"

"I couldn't agree more! Now, have you come to perform tonight, Pedro?"

"Right on, Kipo. I was going to come earlier, but I accidentally slept in!"

"No worries, buddy! The night's still young. I can still fit you in. Is Maria going to join you?"

"No way, Kipo!" Maria ejaculated. "Pedro convinced me to come with him, but he can't convince me to do anything else!"

She flashed a devilish smirk at Pedro, who returned it with an approving smile.

"Suit yourself! Do you want to head out there now, or would you rather stick around for a few songs?"

"I think Maria and I will sit and talk for a few. Whenever you want me to bring the noise, you know what to do!"

"I'll hold you to it, Pedro! See you around. Have fun with your girlfriend."

Pedro led her by the wing back the way they came and around the club to the regular side entrance.

There was a break in the music, courtesy of the band, and the club was pleasantly filled with the chatter of dozens of birds.

He found one empty table out of dozens and claimed it for himself and Maria.

"It'll be just you and me, Maria!"

"I think I like the sound of that. Are you thirsty?"

"No way. Are you?"

"Nope."

"Well then, let's sit and watch the show!"

A few minutes later, the band returned to their instruments and got set up.

Kipo waltzed back onto the stage and announced the next guest. He withdrew as a toucan flapped onto the wooden structure, accompanied by the steady drum beat of samba music.

Halfway through the number, Pedro gazed at Maria and asked, "Do you like it?"

"It's just how I remember it, but a thousand times better! Tonight is the first of many visits I will make to this club, you can be sure of that."

"Awesome! I knew you'd love it here..."

After four more songs, Kipo returned to the stage as always, but this time, he called Pedro up, boosting the noise level in the club as a result.

The cardinal had been staring dreamily at Maria, and he had not caught his own name.

"Pedro," she said. "Pedro!"

"Yo, what's going on?"

"It's your turn to show off!"

"Really?"

"Yes, my love-hawk. Get up there and make me proud!"

"No problem, girl!"

He fluttered up to the stage amidst the uproar, bowed to Kipo, and faced the crowd.

"Yo yo yo! I'm back once mo'! I'm back to rock the show!"

The band poured out an infectious beat, and the crowd was already moving before he even started.

His gaze cut through the glare of the spotlights, and he caught sight of Maria's loving smile.

He yelled, "This is for my love-hawk, Maria! Let's go!"

Filled with pride and energy, he took a deep breath and lit the air on fire with his vocals...


	5. The Sacrifice

**Theme song:Carbon Based Lifeforms-Frog**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: The Sacrifice<strong>

Delving back into the forests around Rio, that vast swath of photosynthesizing organisms filled with creatures of all kinds, we find ourselves in a hollow much larger than its current resident warrants. A striking black and white toucan, with an equally eye-catching fiery orange bill, had just woken up and was preening its feathers.

The toucan made its way over to the rim of his expansive hollow and peered out. The blinding sun had already left the horizon and was perched a fair amount above the canopy.

_I guess I slept late. Oh well, I needed it. That party last night was something else! Tonight, though, will be even more amazing!_

A sense of joyful foreboding welled up inside the toucan, for tonight was the biggest night of celebration that Rio de Janeiro had to offer: Carnaval. Rafael was a veteran of the event, having been to every one without fail, for as long as he could remember.

Over the course of the annual celebrations - which he very much adored - he was deemed more than a mere visitor by his friends and family who went with him. He had become as much a staple to the party as the trains of masterfully-built floats and the charismatic dancers that accompanied them.

He had been branded "The King of Carnaval" by his followers, a title that seemed to match perfectly with his personality and his style.

Although he did enjoy the liveliness and displays that were the essence of Carnaval, another happening during one of his visits - the previous year's Carnaval – he met a bird that rendered all of that second-rate.

That bird was Eva.

He was instantly enraptured by her. Her beauty, her charm, and most of all...her eyes. Rafael made it his sole mission that night to win her heart over and learn if she felt the same way as he.

He did not accomplish his task as quickly as he had planned, but he did not falter in his efforts.

A few weeks later, after the city life had returned to its usual level, they became boyfriend and girlfriend, and the will to do so had been even on both sides. They had come to enjoy being around each other, and they would spends many days bonding, learning about each other, or just frolicking around the city.

A full eight months later, they had progressed to the next step of love by becoming mates. That day had been engraved into their minds, and aside from Carnaval, no other day meant so much to Rafael and Eva.

He was without her today simply because she had chose to stay with her parents for a few days. As he recalled her whereabouts – mixed in with a strong feeling of longing for her presence – he realized that he had planned to see _his _parents today as well, before the celebrations garnered his attention.

_I have to go visit Mama and Papa today! I have to tell them that Eva and I are ready to start a family. They are going to be so proud! I can just hear it now..._

After concluding his mental monologue, Rafael spread his wings and leaped into the late morning air. Shortly after starting his journey, the lack of energy and food made itself known – being as the previous day's exploits had been so severe that he barely made it home.

_Meu Deus! I have to get some food before I go on. I doubt I'll even make it to my parents' house at this rate! _**{My God!}**

He scanned the jungle around him for any reasonable quarry of nourishment, and he spotted a lovely mango tree just ahead. After landing and eating what he thought was appropriate, he wiped his beak clean on the leaves and set of to complete his journey.

He flew deep into the jungle on a westerly path, using as many landmarks as possible that would lead him towards his destination. Sure enough, after fifteen minutes of flying, he came upon the twisted trunk formed by two imposing banana trees that had grown around each other.

His mother and father lived in separate hollows – strange as it may seem – but their living quarters were but one foot apart, each one built into one of the dual trunks of the tree. He landed in the left hollow and found the two toucans he loved the most - besides Eva, of course – talking amongst themselves.

Busy as they were, his entry did not go unnoticed, and they promptly ceased their chat and ambled over to him.

After giving him quite suffocating hugs, they stepped back and exclaimed "Look at you Rafael! We've missed you! How are you and Eva doing?"

"Hello, Mama! Hello, Papa! I decided to come and visit before Carnaval comes around. As for me and Eva, there's something I want to tell you."

"What's that, _meu filho?_" said the male as he leaned in towards his son. **{My son.}**

"Eva and I are planning on having chicks."

"_Isso é maravilhoso! Estou tão orgulhoso de você!_" exclaimed his mother. **{****That's wonderful!** **I am so proud of you!}**

"_Eu também, filho!_ Ah, this is a wonderful day for all of us." **{Me too, son!}**

Rafael's father, Ignacio, gave his son a hearty pat on the back, and his mother, Esmeralda, was leaking small tears of joy.

Rafael smiled at them both, for he felt their pride and elation just as strongly as they did.

After his mother calmed down somewhat, she motioned him and her husband towards the rear of the hollow, away from the uncomfortable rays at the entrance.

Once they got settled down, Esmeralda asked, "So, besides the lovely news that you brought, is there anything else you want to say?"

"Not really, Mama. Eva's staying with her parents today, and I just came over to talk with you and Papa. Carnaval is still a long time away, so there's really nothing else to do until then."

"_I__sso é verdade. Bem, porque você não nos contar como sua vida foi acontecendo nestas últimas semanas._" **{That's true. Well, why don't you tell us how your life has been going these past few weeks?}**

"_Esmeralda e eu estamos muito curiosos. __Tem sido um bom tempo desde que você nos visitou._" **{Esmeralda and I are very curious. It's been quite some time since you've visited us.}**

"_Por que não?_"replied Rafael. **{Why not?}**

Esmeralda and Ignacio listened intently as their son recounted the past few weeks of his life.

He touched on everything fromhis visits to The Palm, the crazy nights he had spent with Nico and Pedro, his romantic evenings with Eva, and eventually his antics the night before.

He spent the better of three hours talking, although his parents often cut in to ask questions and gain new information. He did not mind; they were not prying, they merely wanted to make sure their son wasn't getting into more trouble than he could handle.

After he concluded his recollection, the spotlight went to his parents, who also did their fair share of recalling recent memories.

Among other things, they discussed the slew of previous visits from Rafael's siblings and the possibility of having more children. Rafael was quite surprised by their decision; he currently had three brothers and two sisters, and the chance of getting to meet more was enlightening.

By the time Rafael's parents had worn their beaks out, they had grown quite hungry, and Rafael had grown quite famished as well. Ignacio offered to gather some fruit for his family, despite his drained state. After a reasonably short wait, he returned with a mango in each foot and two in his stately beak.

In blissful silence, he and Esmeralda each consumed one mango, while Rafael was given two as a token of kindness. After they had eaten their fill, they worked up one last chat, for the sun was hanging low in the western sky.

Rafael thanked his parents and left the hollow, and they waved goodbye as he departed, the crimson sphere of light painting his receding form.

He was on a direct route to the city, since he had planned to meet up with Nico and Pedro for tonight's festivities.

In the wake of their union, Eva had vowed to stay away from Carnaval, for she felt that if they were to settle down with their coming family, being separated from them because of the celebration was not how fit parents should act.

This year, she had granted Rafael some leniency in concerning this issue, but she resented his going openly, which caused the toucan some discomfort.

Be that as it may, she was safe with her parents and away from the chaos, and as long as he could come back to her, he would deal with it.

The canary and cardinal were supposedly going to meet him at The Palm, stay until the sun slipped away, and then head on over to the roaring parade for the rest of the night.

_Oh Eva, I miss you, _cried the toucan mentally. _Why can't you just come to Carnaval with me one last time? I guess you can make your own choices now. Still, I'll make sure to see you after the parade is over. I promise..._

With the silent decree bouncing around in his head, he pushed his wings even harder and streaked towards the luscious city that awaited him. The sights and sounds of the anxious city soon replaced the ethereal stillness of the jungle, and Rafael welcomed them wholeheartedly.

He flew directly towards the bay, and upon finding the dark, sloshing expanse of water, flew parallel to it in the direction of The Palm. The familiar sight of the club tucked behind the grand hotel was impossible to miss. Without hesitation, he went into a steep dive and skidded to a stop upon reaching the ground.

Taking a deep breath and bracing for the assault, he made his way past the entrance; to him, it was a gateway into a special little world. With the noise pounding his ears and the photons carving into his vision, Rafael found it hard to focus and find his two buddies.

Through a gap in the swaying crowd, an unmistakable flash of red and yellow fell upon his eyes. A smug look grew upon his face as he made his way toward them while trapped in the vortex of birds. He dropped himself down at the table, a move which quickly gained their attention.

"Hey, what's up, bird?"

"Me and Pedro were wonderin' when you was gonna show!"

"What's up, family! Of course I'm gonna show. The King of Carnaval can't miss the party that gave him his name, can he?"

"No way, Ra-fa-el!" countered Pedro.

"So, I guess we're gonna stick around here until the big one begins?"

"That was the plan, Pedro! Don't go changin' it now."

"Hey, just askin'!"

Nico gave his cardinal buddy a soft punch with his wing.

"So, is your hot-wing comin' with you?"

"Not this year, guys. Or any other years, to tell you the truth. Eva's not coming to Carnaval anymore."

"What's up with that?" demanded Nico.

"Well, Eva and I are going to start a family, and she wants us to be able to focus on them instead of partying. She's got some guts, let me tell you. She just said she wasn't going anymore, just like that."

"That's messed up, man! Love makes you do some crazy things. Is this your last Carnaval too?"

"I hope not, Pedro! Eva decided to let me go this year, but she wasn't happy about it. I don't know how much longer I can convince her, guys."

"Well, you jus' gotta keep tryin'! Take it one year at a time."

"Thanks, Nico. That just might work!"

Nico turned to Pedro and stated, "So, when we get to Carnaval..."

The hours moved past at a steady pace, and as soon as Rafael's concentration was significantly broken, he looked out of the window. The sun had just edged past the horizon, flaying the sky with streaks of cool orange, sensuous purple, and dreamy blue.

"Yo, guys? The sun's set. We need to get our tail-feathers over to the parade street!"

Nico and Pedro broke off their chat to glare out of the window. The rippling dance of twilight registered in their brains, and they exclaimed "Let's go. We don't want to miss getting our spot! You remember it, Pedro?"

"Yeah, I do. Come on, let's get movin!'"

The three birds hustled from the building and took off into the toasty even sky. The brilliant spotlights that marked out the massive bleachers could already be seen cutting into the sky, and the three Carnaval freaks flew towards it with renewed vigor.

The bleachers were filled to the brim with people, even though the parade floats and dancers had yet to arrive.

The feathered species however, possessed the same eagerness as the humans. Birds of every kind were already gathered on every surface possible that could serve as a perch, chatting and shaking with excitement.

Nico, Pedro, and Rafael had searched fervently for their spot, and they eventually found it - thankfully unoccupied. They lighted down on the border fence near the entrance where the floats would enter, just between the first and second bleachers.

"Oh man, it's about to get poppin' in here! You guys ready?"

"You bet!" shouted Rafael and Pedro in unison.

The samba music was already being blasted into the air, and the tension could be felt in the atmosphere. After a grueling thirty minute wait, the rumble of the floats could be felt first, heard next, and seen last.

The first wave of dancers marched down the street, all dressed in lovely costumes. A graceful float followed just behind, modeled after a waterfall deep in the jungle.

"Just look at that float, guys! It's amazing!" yelled Pedro.

"Heck to the yeah!" replied Nico.

The sequence of floats and dancers continued uninterrupted, and moments after the ornate vehicles stretched the length of the street, dozens of courageous birds launched into the air and began dancing amidst the storm of confetti.

They orbited the floats and swirled around them in all manner of directions and styles, doing as many complicated and daring tricks as they could muster.

Nico, Pedro, and Rafael were in the mix as well, but it was clear that that "The King of Carnaval" had not lost his touch. He quickly drew the eyes of nearly all of the birds, and even many of the spectators' eyes as well. He did the craziest and most dazzling stunts of them all, traveling from float to float and even nodding to some of the performers in the process.

Once his routine had been devoted to all of the floats, he alighted on the tallest one in the line and let his body get taken over by the beat of the music. He danced and jived as the float chugged on underneath him, and he kept going until exhaustion ultimately forced him to stop.

As the float rounded the corner at the and of the lane, he lifted off and made his way back to the perch. As he regained his breath, Pedro and Nico alighted down next to him, their faces lit up from Rafael's performance.

"You still the King, bird!" cheered Pedro.

"Yeah, nobody can touch you!" added Nico.

"Thanks... guys! That makes me... feel great."

"No problem! You just rest and relax. The parade's nearly over..." Nico's voice trailed off as he turned to watch the last of the floats motor on by.

A half hour later, the bleachers were being drained of their former occupants, and the visiting birds were drifting off in small flocks. Rafael stayed behind to chat with Nico and Pedro, and he felt a lingering exhaustion poisoning his body while he did so.

After another half an hour of chatting, he decided to head home and rest. As he left the fence and drifted off into the star-sprinkled night, he heard his friends' voices say "See you later, Rafael! You still the King..."

As he left the bustling, quaking city, he found his thoughts settling on Eva.

_Hmmm. Where would she be? It's pretty late out, so she's probably left her parents' house. But wait, isn't she staying with them? I'm too tired to look for her right now. I'll go home and rest first, then I'll go back out and try to find her..._

His tired muscles strained to carry him forward, but at the same time, they yearned for the relaxation they would get once he made it home. He traversed the jungle trapped in a limbo of willpower and lack of energy.

He made it home after some time - how long he couldn't exactly tell - and settled down in his nest for an urgent rest. However, a loud throat clearing sound forced him to look up. There, in the entrance to the hollow, sat none other than Eva, and she did not look pleased.

Rafael perked up somewhat upon recognizing her, and he attempted to draw close to her.

"_Olá, Eva, meu amor. Como você está nesta noite bonita?_" **{Hello, Eva, my love. How are you on this beautiful night?}**

She held him back with her outstretched wing and peered deep into his eyes.

"_Não tente falar comigo doce, Rafael! Você sabe como é final?Eu estive esperando por você para mostrar-se por mais de duas horas!_"**{Don't you try to sweet talk me, Rafael! Do you know how late it is? I've been waiting for you to show up for more than two hours!}**

Her well-toned accent lent an additional bite to her words, and Rafael's previous elation was replaced by confusion and remorse.

"But, Eva, I didn't know it was this late! I didn't mean to stay at the Carnaval parade for so long!"

"You see, this is exactly why I told you I was never going back. _Ele mexe com sua cabeça. É como uma ressaca!_ If I can't trust you now, what makes you think I can trust you when we have _crianças _running around? In fact, I'm not even sure I want to have kids anymore." **{It messes with your head. It's like a hangover!} {Children.}**

She turned away from him in a huff, folding her wings across her chest and peering out unflinchingly into the velvet night. Rafael came up behind the irked female and wrapped his wing around her.

"Look, Eva, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You know how Nico and Pedro are. Once you hook up with them, it feels like it's impossible to leave! I was so busy dancing to the samba music and talking to them that I... just lost track of time. Will you forgive me?"

She made a tiny motion - appearing like she was going to turn around - but she quickly stifled it. Rafael squeezed her tighter and leaned in close, for he knew just the way to soften her composure.

"Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking, and when she passes, each one she passes goes aaaah! When she moves it's like samba, that swings so cool and sways so gently, that when she passes, each one she passes goes aaaah..."

As his words curled out into the still air and dissipated, he felt her stir beneath him. She swiveled around in his grasp and locked her eyes with his. The fire burning in her eyes had been reduced, but it still smoldered with decent intensity.

With a sweet-but-equally-stern-voice, she replied, "I forgive you, handsome Rafael. But before we have kids of our own, there's something you have to do for me."

"_E o que é isso, meu manga suculenta pouco?_" **{What is that, my juicy little mango?}**

"You have to promise to give up Carnaval. It's a sacrifice that you'll have to make if we're going to be good parents."

In order to show his love for her, and also because he craved the idea of children just as bad as she, Rafael knew in that instant he would do anything for her.

"_Eu prometo, meu amor. __Vou desistir de todas as maneiras o meu insalubres só para estar com você._" **{I promise, my love. I will give up all of my unhealthy ways just to be with you.}**

As if to cement the truthfulness of his declaration, he leaned her down towards the floor of his hollow and engulfed her senses with a deep kiss. He lifted her back up after a few seconds and stepped slightly away from her.

"You see, my love, I would do anything for you."

"Thank you, handsome. I knew I could trust you. Giving up Carnaval may be hard, but you'll learn to cope. Besides, once we are surrounded by little toucan chicks, you won't have time to focus on anything else!"

"Aaaah. Our own children... our own happy little family. I can't wait to see what that's like..."

Rafael leaned Eva down for another kiss, and it was the signal that they were but _one_ step away from reaching the oft-desired experience of how it feels to be a _family_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

** Just wanted to clear something up about the timelines in this story.**

**The _overall_ timeline is 5 years prior to the movie, but the characters' _individual _timelines vary within that 5 years. I hope that makes sense.**

**If you are still confused, you may PM me, and I will explain it in more depth.**


	6. And Then I Met Him

**Theme song:Carbon Based Lifeforms-Set Theory**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: And Then I Met Him<strong>

Her head was throbbing constantly, as if someone had planted a cannon inside her brain and shot it off every five seconds. The world as she saw it was a convoluted mess of shapes and sounds. Dragging herself awkwardly towards the edge of her distorted prison, she peered out.

Blobs of green filled her vision, and all she saw when she looked up was a roiling sea of gray. Before she could look away, an image manifested in the sheet of clouds.

What looked like a snarling, malevolent, straight-from-hell dog appeared, and its dread-inducing barks assaulted her ears. The writhing hound fell silent, and she attempted to make sense of what she had seen. Without warning, the hound leaped at her, seeming to stretch down from above like a hologram imbued with life, issuing one last soul-splitting bark.

The female dashed away from the entrance, tripping over herself and contacting the nearby wall with a resonating thud. Her chest was pumping up and down rapidly, but it wasn't even close to the speed of her racing heart.

"_Que diabos foi isso!_" **{What the hell was that!}**

As she did her best to relax, she knew her question would not be gifted with an by the ferocity of the creature and the terror it laced over her soul, she accepted the fact that it was better not to know. After clearing up her mind as best as she could and gathering control over her body - the evil image of the dog had helped her immensely with that - she returned back to the edge of the hollow.

Despite the persistent headache, coupled with the fear still whirling around inside her, she soon observed that the jungle was just how it should be. The amorphous green blobs had sharpened into the leaves, trees, and vines she saw stretching away from her in every direction.

She planted her gaze on the densely clouded sky, utterly relieved to see that no monsters had reappeared and tried to maul her. As the serenity of the jungle rested upon her mind like a comfy blanket upon a sleeping baby, she discerned the cause of her visions.

_Merda, minha cabeça está me matando agora mesmo!_ _Quem diria que uma ressaca pode ser tão … aterrorizante? Eu preciso aprender a controlar melhor o meu insta a beber. _**{Shit, my head is killing me! Who knew a hangover could be so... terrifying? I need to learn to better control my urges to drink...}**

Then and there, Eva fully realized that hangovers are not very pleasant side-effects, and the last thing she wanted to do was relive one of the waking nightmares they caused.

Eva was a naturally outgoing toucan, and parties were one of the things she loved to be a part of. However, when there was a party, be it at a friend's house, a club, or a historical celebration, there was always bound to be alcohol of some form. And where there was alcohol, there was bound to be a Keel-Billed Toucan by the name of Eva close by.

True, she wasn't _solely_ focused on drinking until she passed out _every single time_, but she did enjoy a few cups every now and then - okay, perhaps more than a _few_. In human terms, she would be branded a binge drinker.

She had not particularly enjoyed waking up to the headaches, the dizziness, and the vision problems, but this was one of the few times where she had actually hallucinated. To be honest, it truly scared her, and she vowed to never bury herself so deeply in a drunken stupor _ever_ again.

_Isso é ridículo! Eu não me importo o quão bom é o álcool. Isto não vale a pena..._**{This is ridiculous! I don't care how good the alcohol is. This isn't worth it...}**

Although nearly all of the symptoms of her recent hangover had vanished, her head was still gripped by throbs of pain. She managed to think up a solution, one that she had used in the past to combat the very same affliction.

_I'll go for a soothing bath in the pond, the pond behind the tree covered in vines! You can do this, Eva. You're a tough toucan. Just one wing-flap at a time..._

Steeling her nerves and bracing herself for the increased spasms of pain her increased pulse would bring, she jumped from her home and lifted into flight. The cool, damp mid-morning air deposited an invigorating mist of water on her feathers, but it did little to sooth the inner trauma she was enduring.

She focused her sight in a desperate search for the whereabouts of the pond, managing to take hold of the coming relief it would bring her. She flew as fast as she dared, and after an agonizing ten-minute quest, the banana tree veiled with vines of all sizes beckoned to her from her right.

_Obrigado Cristo Redentor. Eu encontrei-o! Eu nunca vi uma piscina de melhor aparência de água em toda a minha vida! _**{Thank Christ the Redeemer. I found it! I've never seen a better-looking pool of water in my entire life!}**

After executing a gentle banking turn,_ s_he weaved her way past the drooping web of vines and landed into the pool with a crystalline splash. She used her wings to drench her body, reveling in the feel of the tepid fluid rushing over her head and soaking her feathers.

As good as it felt to her, it was not enough. She needed to be even closer to the innocent, pure, healing water. She leaned backwards and landed on her spine, her soggy feathers meeting the water with an audible *plop*.

She lay there in blissful silence, gazing up at the slowly quivering clouds, and she felt the effects of her headache lift with each passing minute.

She had created her own private heaven; a space where her mind was eased and her afflictions were cast off like fallen leaves in a crisp autumn wind.

After spending fifteen minutes reclined in the water amidst her serene world, she was drawn from said world by a lone flash of lightning and its trailing rumble of thunder.

She sat up intently and waited for more to follow, but to no avail.

It was heaven's way of sending a message to the toucan, a message that silently told her that all was well with her body and soul. She got to her feet and stretched her wings, allowing the residual water to drain from her feathers.

_Aaaah, _she mused lovingly. _I feel so much better! That pond just gave me one of its own little miracles._

She trotted out of the pond and flapped her wings vigorously, spraying curtains of water through the air. She would let the rest of her feathers air-dry, but being as the air was humid, it would take some time.

She drew in a deep breath and took in a quick survey of her surroundings.

Signs of animal life were near nonexistent, save for a trio of perched Blue-and Gold Macaws high up in a tree. Upon seeing those macaws conversing and enjoying themselves, something clicked in Eva's brain.

_Meu Deus! I told my parents I would go visit them today! It's a good thing I got rid of my hangover, or I would've never remembered. With Carnaval just a few hours away, I need to get going. _**{My God!}**

She drew in another deep breath and lofted into flight, her wings beating heroically and her heart pumping gracefully. She cut through the undergrowth with fervor, for it had been nearly a month since Eva had last visited her parents.

Carnaval was close at hand, and the final festivities would commence that very night. Knowing she would go there to meet up with her friends and enjoy the spectacle, she had to give her parents the attention they needed.

Letting her memory guide her, she trekked through the jungle towards her parents' home, eventually finding the towering starfruit tree that belonged to them.

The tree had been the victim of a lightning strike many years prior, and although it had managed to survive and heal, one side of the trunk bore a gaping hole where the inner tissues had been blasted away from the heat.

It was in that very wound that the two toucans had made their home, and also where Eva and her siblings had come into the world.

Her face spontaneously lit up with jubilation as she alighted in the space and caught sight of her two dear parents.

"Mama! Papa! It's me! How are you?"

The toucans broke off their conversation and rushed over to her, instantly recognizing who the voice belonged to.

"_Oh querida Eva! Eu perdi você!_" exclaimed the female. **{Oh Eva darling! I missed you!}**

The male added, "_Alicia e eu estamos fazendo maravilhosa. Nós estávamos preocupados filha doente sobre você, querido!_" **{Alicia and I are doing wonderful. We were worried sick about you, dear daughter!}**

"That's great! I haven't seen you two in so long! I am sorry for worrying you."

"It's okay, _minha filha._You're with us and you're safe. That's all we needed to know." said Alberto as he laid a wing on Eva's back. **{My daughter.}**

"So tell me, Eva, how have you been? Have you been to any parties lately?"

As Alberto and Alicia gazed at her with their loving, concerned eyes, she did not have the heart to lie to them.

"Well, I went to one yesterday, and this morning, I was sick."

"You were sick? What happened? Ohhh... I know what you did! You had a _ressaca _didn't you? Did you get yourself drunk again, Eva?" **{Hangover}**

Her father's expression instantly grew stern, and her mother fixed her with an accusatory glare.

"Yes, Mama. I drank too much and got a hangover."

"What did we tell you, Eva? You're not supposed to drink until you pass out! You're a beautiful toucan, but if you keep doing that, you'll become ugly and no one will like you. How are you ever going to find a handsome male and start a family?"

"_Sinto muito. Eu não ouvi-lo._My hangover was so bad that I had a hallucination. It was so scary, Mama! I told myself that I wouldn't drink so much anymore..." **{I'm sorry. I didn't listen to you.}**

Small tears fell from her eyes as the memories she had kept hidden sneaked back into her brain.

"It's okay, Eva. Come here. Now you know that hangovers are very bad for you."

She fell into her mother's warm embrace, staining her chest with the fluid leaking from her eyes.

"You're safe now, daughter. Just promise us that you won't drink too many cups from now on. You need to know your limits, Eva. If you start getting dizzy, you need to stop. We won't be there to help you. In the end, it's up to you to control your bad habits."

She lifted her gaze to meet Alicia's, and her tears slowly stopped trickling out.

"I promise, Mama."

Turning to her father, she repeated, "I promise, Papa."

He smiled gently and replied "Good job, Eva. Now why don't we talk about something more positive. Like... Carnaval! Are you going back this year, Eva?"

"I think so, Papa. I haven't seen my friends in so long. I miss them almost as much as I missed you. Are you and Mama going too?"

"No dear," replied Alicia. "Alberto and I have something even _more _exciting planned for tonight!"

"Eva looked from her mother to her father, and both had donned upbeat expressions.

"What do you mean? What are you two planning?"

"We are going to try for more chicks." declared Alberto.

"Oh. Oh! I hope everything... goes well! Are you sure you're ready for all the energy and time it will take to raise more _crianças_? You haven't had chicks in so long." **{Children}**

"That may be true, but we can handle it! With your father helping, which I'm sure he'll do" - she flashed a meaningful glance at Alberto - "I think we can do a decent job."

"That's good! I'll come back in a couple of weeks and see my little brothers and sisters."

"Sounds good, sweetie. Now what should we talk about next?"

Eva had plenty of catching up to do with her parents, and since she didn't know exactly how long she would be staying, she decided to make the most of it before the parade started.

A few hours into their conversation, the three toucans were stricken with a bout of formidable hunger, and Eva received the worst of it for obvious reasons. She and her father waited by while Alicia headed out to gather some food. She decided to make their meal a surprise by not revealing what she would be bringing back.

The two toucans occupied themselves with a preening session while she was away.

Minutes later, she arrived with five hot-pink dragonfruit, one of the rarer specialties of the jungle. The toucans happily dined on the strongly flavored fruit, picking up their conversation where they left off while they ate.

Unbeknownst to them, time had passed fairly quickly, and a casual glance out of the hollow by Alberto revealed that the hidden sun was most likely clawing at the edge of the sea. With just over an hour of sunlight remaining, Eva decided it was time she head on over to the Sambadrome.

As politely as she could, she said goodbye to her parents and took off into the artificial firestorm of light created by the setting sun. The crimson and scarlet tint of the clouds above resembled a flowing, roiling ocean of magma suspended in the sky, unbound by gravity.

With her promise resurfacing and ringing in her head, she powered on towards the city, anxious for nightfall and the celebration it would bring.

It took her all of five minutes to break free from the jungle's verdant grip, and only a mere ten more for her to locate the Sambadrome and dive towards it.

The two rows of hulking bleachers, one on each side of the lane, were dotted here and there with people. When Eva arrived and scouted the area, she began to wonder if she was the sole bird there.

She perched on the rear ledge of a bleacher and decided that she would bide her time. After a short wait, the clinking sound of talons on metal alerted her to a nearby presence. She whirled around, and perched in front of her were two macaws: a Scarlet Macaw and a Lear's Macaw.

"Hey Scarlet! How are you? And who is this?"

"I'm feeling quite ecstatic on this pleasing night, Eva." replied the Scarlet Macaw. "This is Margaret. It's her first visit to Carnaval, and she asked me to go with her."

The female macaw was definitely an eye-catcher, and Eva felt compelled to gain more insight as to who this new guest was.

"Are you and her... in a relationship of some kind?"

A genuine smile grew on Scarlet's face, and he replied "No no no! Her parents and my parents are often pleased when in the company of each other. I treat this lovely example of good breeding in the manner of a female sibling."

Eva knew Scarlet possessed a certain air of intelligence about him, and it was most directly conveyed by his words. Eva managed to understand what he was saying, but she rolled her eyes nonetheless.

"Ah, I see." stated Eva flatly. "Well, the parade isn't going to start until after the sun sets. The only-"

Margaret interjected by saying "_O que vamos fazer até lá? Eu não sabia que ia ser esse chato. Ano que vem_,_ eu vou saber para não vir tão cedo..._" **{What are we going to do until then? I didn't know it was going to be this boring. Next year, I'll know not to come so early...}**

"Yeah, it is kind of boring if you come early. The only thing we can do for now is chat..."

Margaret threw a less-than-pleased glare at Scarlet, but he merely hugged her and looked awkwardly away.

The sun slipped lower and lower as the three birds conversed, all but oblivious to the growing number of people filing into the bleachers a few feet away. Eventually, they noticed the crowd morph from a pleasant group of humans to a wild, anxious throng.

As the three birds turned to face the lane down below, the first block of dancers were moving about to the thunderous samba beat that shook their bodies.

"Man, this party is sweet! It just barely started, and I am already in love with it!"

"You see, Margaret. The wait was worth it, am I right?"

"I suppose so, Scarlet!"

The ornate macaw turned around and gazed down at the ground behind the bleacher they were perched on. A decent line of birds was stretched out below, and at the head of them was a crude stand that resembled a bar.

"Hey, look down there! If my sense of vision is indeed holding true, that structure composed of wood is being utilized for the purpose of serving alcoholic drinks. Are you up for a drink, sister?"

The flashy macaw followed her brother's gaze, and she proceeded to make a disgusted noise.

"I don't think so! I will not spoil my extravagant looks with that poisonous filth, Scarlet. You can go ahead if you want, but I'm staying with Eva."

As soon as the word "alcohol" registered in Eva's brain, she felt a silent call telling her to go and consume it. She was hesitant to go, but then she remembered the oath her parents had imposed upon her.

_You're safe now, daughter. Just promise us that you won't drink too many cups from now on._

As she mentally scanned over the words, she detected a loophole in the logic.

_ That's it!_ _They said I couldn't drink _too many _cups! That means I can still have _some_..._

"Actually, I think I'll join you, Scarlet."

"Fine by me."

Eva and Scarlet lofted from the bleachers and landed near the end of the line.

"Ugh. Scarlet is hardly acting like a proper sibling right now..."

Margaret released a huff of indignation as she flew down to the ground, landing a few feet away from the line of feathered creatures.

Fifteen minutes later, Scarlet and Eva had collected their drinks, and they were now chatting on the ground between the bleachers, which gave them a clear view of the parade.

Eva and Scarlet had fallen under the effects of the liquor, and Margaret found it nearly impossible to get a word in edgewise. As a result, she paid more attention to the stunning line of floats motoring past the fence in front of her.

On top of the fence, a lone bird perched, and she had caught him staring in her direction several times. When she did catch him, he would immediately turn away and focus on the float train.

_Hmmm. He sure is acting odd. Is he staring at me? No, he's a toucan. Why would he be interested in..._

She twisted her head around to look at Eva, and it was then that the pieces fell into place.

_He's not staring at me. He's staring at Eva! I think he's taken a certain liking to her. I hope he likes flirting with wasted females. Well, I better let Eva know..._

She trudged nonchalantly over to the afflicted duo and tapped the toucan's shoulder.

"Y-yeah? Wh-what d-do you wan-want?"

She disregarded Eva's garbled words and replied "That toucan back there keeps looking, well, _staring_, at you. What are you going to do?"

"N-nothing. *hiccup* J-just let h-him look. He is just s-some r-random bird. Hey, Scarlet? *hiccup*"

"Yes, E-Eva?"

"Bring me a-another c-cup of... w-whatever."

"S-sure. B-be right back." *hiccup*

The macaw ambled awkwardly over to the now-shortened line and waited for his turn.

As Eva peered down into her empty cup, she felt silently wished for Scarlet to move his tail-feathers faster and resupply her. Said cup was only her second, but even in moderation, the alcohol had quite an effect on her.

_Perhaps the stuff is stronger this year. Oh well, I haven't drunk too much, so it's okay._

Moments later, Scarlet placed a third cup down in front of her before stumbling over to his sister.

_Oh yes! Come to Eva, you fiery little cup of amazing..._

She downed half of the liquid in one swig, and it would have scorched the throat of a sober individual. However, her senses were dull and out of focus, so felt only a warm - and pleasant - rush of sensation.

She glanced at the toucan ahead of her, the one Margaret had described. He was now a misshapen blob of black and white, along with a distorted spear of orange on one side. Feeling indifference towards the supposedly intrigued toucan she raised the cup to her beak and downed the remaining liquid.

This last dose of fluid had pushed her over the edge, and she fell onto her back in a half-conscious daze.

"Woah! Eva, are you okay?"

A blue oval - who she believed was Margaret - loomed over her.

"I-m f-fine. Just a l-little s-sleepy. See you i-in a few h-hours..."

She fell into a black pool as she lost consciousness, and the last thing she witnessed was a familiar tricolor shape composed of black, white, and orange.

_Eva... Eva... wake up. Are you okay?_

A soft, sonorous voice filled Eva's ears, and she felt herself slipping back into reality. She forced her eyes to open, and what she saw astonished her. She was no longer at the Sambadrome. She was in a quiet space with a floor beneath her and a ceiling above. Most strikingly, however, was that a vaguely familiar bird was staring at her with concerned eyes.

Her mind felt reasonably clear, and she wondered how on Earth she had gotten here.

"Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here? Where are Margaret and Scarlet?"

The toucan waved his wings and countered "Hey, hey, hey. _Muitas perguntas! Desacelerar, e eu vou explicar._" **{Too many questions! Slow down, and I'll explain.}**

Eva ceased her rant and got to her feet, blinking several times as she did so.

"My name is Rafael. You are in my home because I brought you here. Your friends have probably gone home because Carnaval is over. You slept for a good four hours, Eva! You must not be able to handle alcohol well!"

She fixed the toucan, Rafael, with a curious gaze.

_I must have passed out again. Way to go, Eva! You broke your promise to your parents! At least you avoided the hangover. Still, no more drinking. Not now, not ever..._

"Is something wrong? How do you feel?"

She broke her void gaze in response and said "I'm fine... Rafael. I am just a little dizzy. And you're right, I can't handle too many drinks."

"Well, do you think you can fly home? If you have a home, that is."

"Yeah, I think so. Let me just-"

Eva had taken not two steps before her coordination faltered and she fell to the floor. She felt Rafael's wings lift her from the floor and hold her in a cautious embrace.

"I think some alcohol is still in your blood. Maybe you should rest here for the night."

She gazed into his eyes as he spoke, and something deep within them intrigued her. That peculiar sparkle was, to Eva, hidden in plain sight. She felt a warm tickle in her feathers, like nothing she had ever felt before.

"Maybe you're right, Rafael. Are you sure you don't mind me staying?"

"Not at all, Eva! You can sleep in my nest, and I'll sleep over here, against the wall. I won't disturb you for any reason."

He led her over to his nest, and she climbed into it awkwardly. Once she got settled down, Rafael drew back, and she took a lengthy look at her caretaker.

His feathers were sleek and supple; the blackest black she could think of, emblazoned with well-placed patches of white. His beak was long and resilient, and it tapered down to a strong point. A pattern of crimson triangles ran down its fiery orange and yellow length like a row of decorative teeth.

Now that she could focus on him correctly, he was the most appealing toucan she had seen in her whole life. The twinkle in his eyes, and the way she buzzed with sensation when he held her, was an undeniable signal of infatuation.

His generous, selfless offers only augmented her take on the situation. She was growing very fond of this toucan named Rafael, and she wouldn't mind sticking around for a few more hours... or days...or weeks.

"Thank you for being so nice, Rafael. You really shouldn't be doing this. It's not your fault that I got myself drunk."

"You think too much, Eva! I don't mind it. Besides, you're not just any ordinary toucan..."

Rafael winked at her before turning away and resting himself against the far wall.

_He said I wasn't an ordinary toucan... and I think I know what that means. This Rafael may be the perfect toucan for me, and if everything goes well, the perfect husband..._

The possibility of these thoughts becoming reality set Eva's feathers crawling - albeit in a good way. The tingling sensation penetrated her skin and threaded into her brain, settling her slowly into an amorous sleep.

Even though her mind was bloated with feelings of security, attraction, and tenderness, she dozed peacefully in the hollow, a mere wing's reach away from the suave and charming toucan known as Rafael.


	7. My Big Brave Boy

**Theme song:Carbon Based Lifeforms-Init**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7:My Big Brave Boy<strong>

A repeated series of shrill beeps caused Linda to wake.

As the blackness cleared from her vision - only to be replaced by the murky gray light of a Minnesota morning – she smiled widely upon noticing that her Spix's Macaw was staring at her intently. He cocked his head this way and that, issuing short, curious chirps as he did so.

"Good morning, Blu. Thanks for waking me up. But, what sound was that? I've never heard you do that before."

Blu cawed gently and repeated the sound – although with less volume than before. Due to her grogginess, it took Linda a moment to analyze and place the sound.

"Is that... a car alarm?"

Blu bobbed his head up and down rapidly.

"Well, it was perfect! Maybe you can be my personal wake-up call from now on. How does that sound?"

Blu chirped once more, as if he was saying "sure!"

"If you say so, Blu. Now come on, let's head downstairs. Today's going to be a busy day for you and me!"

Linda threw the comforter – a burgundy sheet decorated with stylized ivory birds – off of her haphazardly and sat up on the edge of the bed. She picked up her silver-framed glasses from the nightstand and donned them casually.

Blu made his way across the headboard, onto the amber tinted oak nightstand, and finally onto Linda's left arm.

She reached down and flicked the alarm switch on the ovoid black clock to the "off" position, preventing it from going off while they were absent.

Blu had a habit of waking Linda up slightly early, but she embraced his punctuality on her behalf, rather than being annoyed by it.

The electronic timekeeper read 8:55, and Linda was anxious to get started on her errands and have the chance to enjoy this lovely Moose Lake morning.

She lifted herself from the bed and made her way to the door, peeling it open slowly. Her footfalls caused the floor to creak as she walked down the nicely lit hallway, and Blu bobbed rhythmically on her arm.

They transitioned from the second floor of Linda's bookstore to the first by means of a smoothly spiraling staircase, composed entirely of richly-hued cherry wood.

Once she reached the bottom, she turned to the right and walked through the bookstore, the odor of the tomes filling the air with a playful scent.

Once she had passed the wooden counter that held her inventory computer, she turned to the left and opened the door that led to the kitchen. She sealed the door shut behind them and stopped in front of the linoleum counter to her left.

Blu hopped off of her arm gracefully and cawed softly, his hazel eyes glinting joyously.

"How does hot chocolate and pancakes for breakfast sound, Blu?"

He nodded his head fervently, and Linda smiled in return. Hot chocolate was basically a necessity in the chilly town of Moose Lake, and nothing complimented that sugary drink better than a stack of warm pancakes.

"I'll get right on that, sir!" she declared laughingly.

She placed a fairly large skillet on the stove a few feet from Blu and brought the flame to life. He scooted closer to the stove, but the intense heat of the flame – whose color was an exact replica of Blu's feathers – eventually set a limit as to how far he could advance.

Linda extracted a medium-sized scarlet bowl, a gleaming metal whisk, and a pure white measuring cup from a cabinet above and to the right of the stove. She then moved even further to the right and opened the pantry, pulling from it a brand new bag of flour.

She tore open the flour and began pouring it gently into the bowl, and small clouds of flour began to rise from the container. Linda had prepared pancakes so many times before that she knew by heart how much to use for her and her beloved macaw.

She took the cup and bowl to the other side of the room and filled the white container with tap water. She emptied the water into the bowl, being careful not to splash the gooey mixture all over herself. She also repeated this four times, and moved once again back to the left side of the kitchen.

The scalding skillet was more than adequate to cook the batter, and so Linda took the whisk and dutifully whipped the mixture for three minutes.

Blu never grew tired of hearing the delicious sizzle of the batter contacting the skillet, and he watched intently as it spread out across the coal-black surface and bubbled from the heat.

While the first pancake was cooking, Linda began to concoct the hot chocolate.

A box of Swiss Miss - the sweetest and most luxurious, in Blu's opinion – was being poured steadily into two equally sized ceramic mugs, filled with steaming water. Using a spoon, Linda stirred the mixture in the two cups languidly.

Once the drink was sufficiently blended, Linda applied the final touch to their drinks: six squishy marshmallows.

She dropped them one by one into their scalding prisons from a small plastic bag, and Linda smiled as she imagined the white cylinders screaming in agony as they met the hot liquid.

Why her macaw _insisted_ that his hot chocolate be served with six marshmallows was a mystery. She had never been able to deduce his reasoning in the ten years they had lived together. Nonetheless, Linda soon copied his preference, and Blu was all the happier as a result.

Once she had cooked the remaining pancakes, she brought their food and drinks to the table in the middle of the narrow room and sat down hard in her chair. Blu was perched on the grainy oak table across from her, the stack of silver-dollar sized pancakes in front of him and the mug of Swiss Miss to his right.

Linda's pancakes were normal sized, but Blu's stature required that his be significantly smaller.

Linda was eager to dig in to the tantalizing meal, and as she gazed at Blu, she could see that same emotion whirling behind his handsome eyes.

"Are you ready to eat, Blu?"

He let out a stern squawk and patted his belly with his foot.

"Well then, let's eat!"

Linda graciously ate her syrup-painted pancakes, punctuated by sips of the luscious brown liquid that warmed her throat.

Blu nibbled his pancakes rapidly, and Linda was fearful that he would cause himself to choke or end up with an upset stomach.

"Slow down, Blu! I know they're delicious, but you may get sick from eating so fast! The syrup and butter only makes the chance that you'll get sick even higher."

Blu nodded resolutely – for he was in the middle of eating the last of his second pancake – and was unable to speak.

"Thank you, Blu. I love you, and I just don't want to see you ill..."

Their quiet, pleasing breakfast lasted twenty heavenly minutes, and both Linda and her macaw cleaned their plates and emptied their mugs. Now that their bellies were full, Linda could set upon taking care of her errands today. She placed their plates and cups in the sink and washed and dried her hands.

She then moved over to the calendar plastered against the refrigerator with bird-shaped magnets and peered at it intently.

_Today is... Friday, August 1__st__. I have to pick up the flowers for Mother's birthday, buy her a card, and buy Blu... a surprise set of winter attire! Well, we better get going!_

She turned away from the calender and back towards the table, where Blu sat staring at her. She made sure to keep the calendar hidden behind her, since she didn't want Blu's secret gift to be spoiled.

When she focused on Blu's face, she noticed that a large part of his beak was stained with leftover hot chocolate.

She chuckled and said, "Whoops! You forgot something, Blu! Oh man, that's funny..."

She drew closer to the table and grabbed a paper towel from the roll that sat in the middle. Blu fixed her with an angry look, and he let out a deep squawk, as if to say, "What are you laughing at?"

She wiped his face genuinely and showed him the brown stain on the crumpled towel. His hard gaze melted completely, and he looked up at her cheekily.

"You see! I guess that tongue of your isn't long enough to clean your beak off."

Her remark triggered a burst of realization in her brain. There was one last thing to tend to before she could head out and fulfill her tasks.

_I need to take a shower! My hair's probably a mess, and these clothes are not fit for the chilly weather just outside the bookstore!_

She looked down at herself, and indeed she was right. She had on a deep blue pajama set, covered from head to toe in ornate white snowflakes. She offered her left arm to Blu, and he perched ceremoniously on it, the fleecy material ruffling up from the sturdy grip his claws provided.

"I am going to take a shower and change, Blu. What do you want to do in the meantime?"

He pointed towards the door with his left foot and scrolled his head like he was reading.

"Good choice. It won't take me too long to get cleaned up, and then we can take a little trip across Moose Lake."

She walked back across the kitchen and entered into the bookstore, deciding where to put Blu so that he could read comfortably. She carried him over to the shelf behind the large, street-facing window of the bookstore and set him down.

A small stack of books rested up against the window, a mere foot from his cage, which stood directly up against the shelf. He grabbed the topmost one, peeled it open with his tiny feet, and began to read gleefully.

Linda knew that Blu was often entranced by his favorite books, and he seemed to have forgotten that Linda was still standing there.

"I'll be right back, Blu. Enjoy the book..."

He issued a nonchalant chirp in response and focused more intently at the page before him. She smiled and walked away, grateful that her macaw was so studious and intelligent.

Linda returned to her upstairs bedroom to gather a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom.

She treated herself to a warm shower, but she did not delay, and she was out and drying herself in less than fifteen minutes.

She had chosen to wear a viridian wool sweater, crisp khaki pants, and a fluffy ivory scarf for her outing. Once the blow dryer and towel had removed the moisture from her body, she threw her clothes on and combed her hair vigorously. She then grabbed her purse from her bedroom before heading back downstairs.

She stopped a few feet from the macaw – who was still scouring his way through the book – and declared, "Let's go, Blu! I'm clean and fresh now. How do I look?"

He tore his gaze from the tome, and his eyes widened at Linda's refined appearance. He bobbed his head up and down comically and whistled.

"Thank you, Blu! Are you ready to see the town?"

Due to his species and inherent design – after all, he was a bird that belonged in the Amazon, not a frozen community in the north of the United States – she hardly ever took him out of the bookstore.

He squawked convincingly and returned the book to its proper place on the stack. She sidled up to him and allowed him to perch on her arm once more, the thick sweater preventing his claws from pricking her skin.

She strolled towards the door and unlocked it using the key in her purse, after making sure the words "Yes, we're closed" were facing the street.

They emerged into the less-than-inviting atmosphere, but thankfully the wind was dead calm. The August sun, although shining bright, wasn't high enough in the sky to warm the land.

Blu began to shiver, for he wasn't acclimated to the weather, and Linda always made him wear his beanie, scarf, and earmuffs, which Linda had for his fifth birthday.

She snuggled Blu against her chest and said, "I know it's cold, but I'll keep you warm. I have a surprise planned for you, so just hold on until we get to Jake's Flower Shop."

He looked up at her with a confident expression that belied his discomfort.

"That's my big brave boy..."

She and Blu ambled steadily down Ridgecrest until they came to an intersection. She then turned left and walked down Booker.

The town of Moose Lake was minuscule, and cars were mostly unnecessary. The populace was adapted to the cold weather, and morning walks were thought of as refreshing rather than irritating.

Several other people were going about their days as well, and they greeted Linda and Blu in passing.

On the corner of Booker Lane and Johnson Street, on the same side that Linda was walking, was Jake's Flower Shop. Linda grabbed the handle of the ornately painted glass door and heaved it open, grateful that not only was she out of the cold, but so was Blu.

The now-toasty macaw perked up and clambered back onto Linda's arm, looking around in awe at the sea of flowers that filled the store. She approached the front counter and caught the attention of a tall, brown-haired man in his early twenties who was hunched over with his eyes buried in a magazine.

"Are you busy, Jake?"

The query caused him to shift his focus to Linda.

"Nice to see you again, Linda! Who's the marvelous bird that you brought along?"

"Likewise, Jake. This is Blu. He's a macaw that I found on Ridgecrest ten years ago under... mysterious circumstances."

"It seems like a lucky find for you. You two must be close."

"Most definitely. He's the best non-human friend anyone could ever find!"

"I don't doubt you at all! Now, is there something I can do for you?"

"I came to pick up some flowers for my mother's birthday."

"I see. Let me check the order information on the computer..."

He turned to the flat screen resting on the counter and locked his gaze on it while looking up Linda's order. After a minute of silence, he pointed at the screen and said, "Ah, here we go! Two dozen assorted roses and carnations for Linda Gunderson, correct?"

"That's them, Jake!"

"Perfect. That'll be fifty-four dollars and ninety-nine cents, Linda."

She dug around in her purse and extracted three twenty dollar bills.

"Here's sixty even, Jake."

"Thank you very much, Linda. I'll print your receipt and bring your flowers promptly."

He popped open the register and fished out her change, placing it in her hand along with the receipt. He then marched through the door behind the checkout counter and vanished from sight.

Within a minute, he returned with a stunning bouquet of flowers in a myriad of colors.

Blu cawed in amazement as Linda took the flowers, holding them gently in her right hand so as not to damage them.

She didn't want to force Blu to suffer out in the cold as she took care of her two remaining tasks, so she hoped Jake would allow him to stay here until she returned.

"Hey Jake?"

"Yes, Linda?"

"Do you mind if I leave Blu here while I go pick up a card at Murphy's? He's not built to deal with our cold weather."

A genuine smile grew on his face, and Linda knew the answer before he even said it.

"Of course not, Linda! As long as he doesn't chew on the tulips or snack on the daisies, I'll be just fine. But if you're going to be out there for awhile, I would advise you to leave the flowers here. The cold will damage them."

She motioned for Blu to hop onto the counter, and after he had freed up her arm, she gave the flowers back to the human.

"You know more about them than me. I'll trust your judgment."

Jake laid them gently on a shelf built under the counter, out of sight, but not out of mind.

She scratched Blu under his chin and said, "You be a good boy, okay? I'll be back in about half an hour. You listen to Jake while I'm gone."

He closed his eyes at her touch, and Jake declared, "Don't worry, Linda! I'll keep him safe."

"You better!" she countered with mock ferocity.

"See you soon, Linda!"

Linda turned around and exited the store, leaving human and macaw alone together. Jake followed her as she passed in front of the street-side window and disappeared.

"She's quite an alluring woman. I wonder if I'm her type..."

Blu jerked his head towards Jake, one of his "eyebrows" raised questioningly. Jake picked up on what Blu was silently implying.

"Hey, one can hope. Would you be opposed to sharing her in the near future?"

Blu wrapped his wings around him and glared even fiercer at the human. His offensive stance seemed to be saying, "In your dreams!"

"If you two are _that _close, I guess I can't force you apart."

Blu nodded once and crouched down onto his belly, his eyes closing in preparation for a quick nap.

* * *

><p>Linda first continued down Booker until she came to Murphy's Gift Store. It was basically the Hallmark of Moose Lake, but a lot cheaper and had resided here since Linda was a child.<p>

She picked up a baby-blue card decorated with a smiling teddy bear on the front. The words on the back of the front page read: "You brought me into this world, and you can take me out of it!"

On the opposite page they read: "Since I don't want that to happen... happy birthday, mother!"

Linda chuckled at the humor and selected the ivory envelope that it belonged with. The card only cost one ninety-nine, but seeing her mother's expression would be priceless.

She emerged from Murphy's and returned to the intersection, at which point she turned left and headed down Johnson Street.

Moose Lake Clothiers was nestled on the opposite side of Johnson, between a coffee shop and a tiny church.

Once Linda was inside, she began the search for Blu's trio of gifts. The clothes were organized throughout the store based on the stages of life, and Linda had a reasonable guess as to which size would fit Blu snugly.

She was browsing through the beanie racks in the toddler section, but not having Blu with her made the task difficult. She was using her clenched fist to represent Blu's head, but the soft caps were all too big and covered it completely.

They all seemed to be the same size, and Linda was putting on a laughter-inducing show.

One of the employees noticed Linda's frustration and approached her.

"Can I help you find something ma'am?"

"Yes, I need to find a beanie that will fit my... hand."

"I agree that finding the right size beanie is a challenge when you can't bring them along. How old is your baby?"

"No no no! I don't have a baby. It's for my... bird. He's a macaw, and his head is about the size of my hand."

"Oh, my apologies! I think I know just the thing. Follow me..."

The woman led Linda over to the "Newborns" section. Sure enough, most of the beanies she placed onto her hand only came down a third of the way. She selected a deep red one, adorned with a ring of white designs near the bottom.

She thanked the lady for her help and moved on to find a scarf. The length was less of an issue, so she grabbed a striking yellow one from the "Teenage" section.

She then dashed back to the "Newborns" area and set her sights on selecting a pair of earmuffs for Blu. Nearly all of them were monotone and drab, but a few were decorated with striking patterns.

She fell in love with a set that was blue with black polka-dots, and it was quite small.

With the three articles in hand, she walked to the checkout counter merrily. She knew that Blu was going to love the gifts, and the fact that they were a surprise made that idea even more concrete. Once she had paid for them, she walked rather rapidly to Booker and turned left.

She dashed across the street and composed herself before entering Jake's.

She hid the gifts behind her back as she walked in, and the noise of the door clicking shut alerted Jake and the macaw to her presence.

She stopped at the counter and said, "I have something for you, Blu! Come closer to me."

Blu hopped over to her and cawed expectantly.

"Close your eyes, Blu! I don't want you to see them just yet..."

Blu obeyed graciously, and while he was temporarily blind, Linda placed the thee articles on him. Jake gave Linda two thumbs up, and she smiled in response.

She laid the envelope with the card inside it on the counter and drew a good-sized mirror from her purse.

She held it in front of him and said, "Okay Blu, open your eyes!"

He knew that something had been placed on him, and he spied his reflection in the spotless mirror. A sun-yellow scarf trailed down his chest, a pair of strongly-patterned earmuffs framed his face, and a crimson beanie topped it all off.

Blu looked ready to explode; his happiness was unbridled. He blinked several times to make sure it wasn't an illusion. His eyes did not deceive him, and those two orbs began to leak tears. He rushed at Linda and wrapped his wings around her waist, and melancholy squawks slipped from his beak.

"I knew he would like them!" said an ecstatic Linda.

"He doesn't like them. He _loves _them! You've got yourself a fine bird there, that's for sure."

"That's so true. Come here, Blu..."

She scooped the bird up with both hands and hugged him against her chest. He looked at her with puffy eyes, and the sparkle deep inside them seemed to tell Linda, "Thank you so much..."

"You are very welcome, Blu."

"Would you like your flowers now?"

"Sure. We need to get home so I can fill out the card I bought."

He leaned down and plucked the bouquet from the shelf, handling it with the level of care only a flower shop owner could. Blu secured himself on his owner's right arm while she took hold of the flowers with her left hand. Jake then reached over and grabbed the envelope and worked it in beside the plastic wrap that held the roses and carnations.

"Thanks so much, Jake. I'll see you around."

"You're welcome, Linda. You take care now, and keep that magnificent bird of yours happy."

She nodded and left the store, her heart brimming with as much elation as Blu's was. Linda paused outside of the door and met Blu's gaze directly.

"That's why I made you come without your other things, Blu. I wasn't trying to be mean, but I had to surprise you. I think I did an amazing job."

Blu nuzzled his head against her shoulder, and she gave him a few rubs under the chin. Before she began the return journey home to Ridgecrest Avenue and Blue Macaw Books, she had one last thing to say to her precious macaw.

She lifted his head up with her hand and whispered, "I love you, Blu. Let's go on home now, my big brave boy..."


	8. It's My Passion It's My Life

**Theme song: Carbon Based Lifeforms-Tensor**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8:It's My Passion. It's My Life.<strong>

It was six o'clock on a fine June morning in Rio.

The irritating rhythm of the alarm clock accomplished its task quite well. The sleeping figure in the bed nearby was jolted wake, the covers flying off of him messily. He fumbled to switch the alarm off, and once that was done, he rubbed his eyes and looked around.

A fairly-decorated room boxed him in: a tan ceiling above, tan walls all around, and a floor covered in puffy gray carpet.

Looking down at his ragged, worn clothes, the man decided it was time for a good cleanup courtesy of a hot shower. He lifted himself from the bed and loped towards the door. He turned to the left and continued a short way down the hall, at which point he turned right and entered the bathroom.

He treated himself to an invigorating, near-scalding shower, and once he had scrubbed his body thoroughly, he stepped out and dried himself. He slipped on a pair of creased khaki pants, an olive-tinted t-shirt, and topped it all off with a pristine lab coat.

He glanced in the mirror and combed his hair, mentally preparing himself for the rigors of the imminent workday. He returned to his bedroom to retrieve his glasses - an essential piece of equipment given the nature of his work - and placed them dutifully upon his face.

He scanned the house stealthily – his mother, father, and sister were still napping at this early hour - to make sure he had not forgotten anything vital to his formal occupation, and once that was completed, he left his family's humble abode on the west side of Rio and hopped in his Jeep.

Cranking the engine on and enjoying the gruff purring it produced, he motored from his driveway and out onto the main road. The salty, warm air of dawn was in his face, and he relished the feeling of it as he drove. The trip to the aviary only lasted ten minutes - the roads were desolate strecthes of pavement with few cars to be seen.

He passed under a bone-white arch and pulled into the empty parking lot, parking his worn-down Jeep with great care. He straightened his aatire, drew in a deep breath and entered the building.

* * *

><p>He was a man of medium height, a lanky build, and smooth, mud-colored hair. He could have passed as a businessman or banker, but that was not the case. The plastic tag clipped to the collar declared his identity.<p>

This man was Tulio Monteiro, practicing ornithologist and avid scholar of the most-esteemed aviary in Rio.

He had earned the equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree, and and now was on track to earn a Doctorate in ornithology. He had spent four years so far – from 1998 to 2002 - at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, using as many means as possible to pay for the four-figure cost that his education demanded.

At the May 2002 graduation ceremony – where Tulio's entire family was stationed to witness his achievement – the greatest feeling of elation he had ever experienced flooded him as he received his first degree, framed in gorgeous cherry wood and screened in by a spotless glass sheet.

What a day that was for him, for after the festivities and tearful reunion of him with his family, they all went to one of the finest restaurants in Rio and ate merrily. Once the cloak of night cascaded over the city, he returned home with his family for a restful – but near impossible – sleep.

That was the end of an era for the 22 year-old man, and the beginning of another, for he would now have to search for a place that would allow him to work in his chosen field hands on, what would be known as "clinicals" in the U.S.

He consumed the months of June and July due to that search, but eventually he found a place to express his skills and work with others that shared his passion regarding the winged wildlife of Brazil. That place was known as the _Centro do Conservação Ambiental._

His shining degree easily guaranteed him a spot, and he took the offer without hesitation. He took great pride in his work, for he learned many secrets regarding birds that were unknown to him previously. His time of joining would function greatly to his advantage, since the current manager and lead ornithologist was planning on retiring in the next few years.

That man was called Leonardo, and he enjoyed training Tulio whenever he acquired the chance. Leonardo saw something in the brown-haired man that none of the other staff possessed. It was Tulio's spark, his dedication, his _adoration _forthe field that convinced his mentor that he would be the one to succeed him.

Tulio had developed strong bonds with the aviary staff in the eight months he had spent here – it was now March 2003 - and they had knitted themselves together like a family.

There were many times when he was able to rescue, rehabilitate, and release the birds he had found injured and infected during his regular forays into the rain-forest.

At other times, despite his best efforts, the birds perished, victims of man's indifference and cruelty. Each day that happened - whether it was a Scarlet Macaw succumbing to a gunshot wound, a canary meeting its end from a collision with a car, or a Spoonbill dying from drinking filthy, polluted water - Tulio was reminded that he was merely human.

He was not all-powerful, and not every battle could be won. Nevertheless, he pushed forward, and the battles he lost were redeemed by countless more battles won. He loved his job, but love was too simple of a word to describe the bond between the two.

He was an adept healer and caretaker of the avian species that he encountered, and he helped pushed the aviary into a new age of salvation. Although he enjoyed saving all species that called the nearby jungle home, he was especially concerned about those who were losing their precious homes to the humans.

Three months prior, in January 2003, a dire case came to his attention: a particularly magnificent species known as the Spix's macaw had been seen less and less in the jungles around Rio, and many sources claimed that the bird was nearly extinct, if not so already.

Tulio made it his sole mission to scout out that species and either confirm or deny the reports. He spent the months of February and March doing just that.

He only documented ten mated pairs, along with a lone male and female, and his gut twisted with the fear that the azure birds would soon be remembered only in textbooks and wildlife guides.

He had managed to capture the two unmated birds with the help of his peers in an attempt to study them further and determine if a captive breeding program would be feasible. There was little new knowledge to be gleaned from them, and the dangerously low species count remained.

It was now the month of June, and today would be the day that Tulio hoped to be able to check up on the condition of the two macaws' relationship.

* * *

><p>The man pushed past the cold steel front door and emerged into the sunlight-filled space that led to the various treatment rooms, labs, and enclosuress that the building housed. He went from room to room, flicking the lights on and making sure everything was in order.<p>

He returned to the main room and powered on the computer, which contained information regarding the treatment plans for the birds, daily staff lists and pay dates, and important phone numbers that Leonardo had accrued over the past months.

He then spent an hour examining all of his avian patients, and having found that all of the birds had survived the night, his hopes were boosted. He did a quick check on the time.

_It's seven fifteen. Forty-five minutes left until my faithful co-workers show up and lightens the load on my shoulders! I can tell this is going to be a very productive day! I just hope those two Spix's macaws have taken a liking to each other. So much depends on it..._

The multitude of feathered patients the aviary housed – thirty-five at the moment – were all slumbering, either of their own accord or due to the drugs that flooded their systems.

A ghostly silence filled the building, but it was not unnerving. It served to give Tulio a sense of peace before the remaining staff arrived.

From the moment they walked through the door until they exited – an eight hour shift for most of them – the building would be assaulted by the squawking of birds, endlessly shuffling feet, doors opening and closing, and dozens of conversations.

It took an iron will to maintain focus amidst the sonic onslaught, but thankfully Tulio had developed one. He had learned to deaden the raucous noise to a dull roar, and it was something he did not take for granted.

He passed the time browsing milling between the lab rooms, his thoughts jumping from one concern to the next. The most pressing issue was that of the two macaws, which were being kept in a jungle-themed enclosure behind a door on the right side of the room.

He had hoped that the birds would eventually bond, but so far, no such thing had happened. The female was unnaturally bold and unforgiving, and many of Tulio's fellow workers had been injured by her when they entered the enclosure.

She had developed a severe intolerance for humans, but she did not attack the male who resided with her. She maintained an uneasy friendship with the male, but no more.

In the midst of his worrisome mental ramblings, a shaft of glowing sunlight cut cross the room, and the tall figure of Leonardo walked in.

"Good morning, Leonardo!"

"Likewise, Tulio. I see you came in before I did. I have the feeling that this Monday is going to open the week with a bang!"

"I'm sure it is!"

"So, did all of the birds last through the night?"

"Yes they did. I was concerned about that Blue-Winged Macaw with the gunshot wound, but it seemed to have healed slightly since yesterday. I disinfected the hole and put a fresh bandage on. I'm sure he'll make a wonderful recovery."

"Good, good. Have you reviewed your scheduled tasks for today?"

"I was just about to do that, actually."

Tulio paused to look up his assignments, and the screen was filled with standard orders of business; nothing outlandish or sweat-inducing.

"Well, I have a pretty normal day ahead of me."

"Okay then. You can print that out if you want and use it to keep track of what needs to be done."

"I'll get right on it."

Tulio printed his schedule and went to clock in while well-built form of Leonardo ambled across the room and sat down at the computer.

Tulio was just about to enter lab #2 when Leonardo's baritone voice stopped him short.

"Tulio? I have something for you to take care of before you get to the birds."

Tulio came up to the computer desk and asked, "What is it, Leo?"

"I need you to check all of the birds and take quick notes on a clipboard about their conditions. I need to update the old treatment schedules in the system and print out the new ones."

"Right away, Leo."

"Thank you, Tulio."

The brown-haired man grabbed one of the paper-loaded clipboards hanging from the wall behind his boss and pulled a pen from the mug on the desk. His sweep of the aviary took all of twenty minutes, and his efficient notes used five pages, front and back.

Tulio handed the clipboard to his superior and said, "Here you go, Leo."

"Many thanks, Tulio. Let me update the system and print the sheets out..."

After ten minutes of incessant keystrokes, the printer whirred and began spitting out neat spreadsheets loaded with information. Leonardo pulled the warm papers from the tray and handed them to Tulio.

"Pin these up in the appropriate labs and trash the old ones. Once that's done, you can get started on _real_ work."

Tulio smiled slyly and made off with the papers.

While Tulio was busy tending to his business, Leonardo sat in the chair and checked his e-mails. Every five minutes or so, more and more of his fellow workers showed up, and he greeted them enthusiastically and printed out their tasks.

Maintaining a positive atmosphere was important, and even more so at this aviary. The patients seemed to survive at a higher rate if their human caretakers stayed upbeat. Whether this fact was scientifically accurate was unproven, but that did not deter him. He would embrace any measure that would allow him to save as many victims as possible.

All twelve of his fellow bird enthusiasts had arrived by nine o'clock, and the aviary was an organized, well-run machine. The humans milled about, performing a wide range of procedures and treatments on the birds, and they did so skillfully.

Tulio worked alongside them merrily, eager to further his knowledge and develop new techniques. Every case was different, every bird unique, and there was _always_something new to be learned.

However, not all things go as planned, and an injured bird would often take a turn into the land of unexpected.

The first incident on that Monday morning occurred at ten thirty, when a Military Macaw – who was suffering from a bout of psittacosis – reacted negatively to the medicine that was administered by Jose for the final stage of treatment.

The lab soon filled with tension, and the macaw was promptly removed from its isolated cage and brought to the center of the room. Jose, Tulio, and their co-worker Sandra stood at the table, their eyes glued to the macaw before them.

Luckily, Leonardo was contacted and had arrived to assess the situation.

"What's going on, Jose?" asked the boss intently as he studied the quaking macaw.

"I began an IV drip of tetracycline at ten fifteen and left to check on the Scarlet Macaw across the room. When I came back, this macaw was shaking and coughing. My best guess was that the medicine was the cause."

Leonardo checked the macaw's breathing and vital signs, and they were indeed elevated.

"You are correct, Jose. Tetracycline won't work for this case. What other option is there to treat psittacosis?"

He paused to think, and only ten seconds later, he replied, "Doxycycline."

He smiled and gave him a pat on the back.

"You are correct, Jose."

"What should I do now?"

"Flush this macaw's bloodstream out with a saline drip for five minutes, and then administer a doxycycline drip at ten milliliters an hour."

"Right away, sir."

Jose's hands lifted the macaw gently from the table and returned him to his isolation unit, where he would stay until he was free and clear of the disease.

Tulio and Sandra departed, their minds brimming with the information their boss had announced.

As Tulio watched another co-worker named Rosario replace an IV drip for the Blue-Winged Macaw – who had been named Stefano by his rescuer - his ears caught hold of the conversation going on between boss and employee.

"I congratulate you on a job well done, Jose. You stopped the harmful drip immediately and identified its cause, not to mention the proper solution."

"Thank you, sir. But I didn't know what to do after that."

"This is your first case, so that was expected. Still, you asked questions, and that is how you learn. Now you are prepared for the future."

"Thank you, sir. That makes me feel good."

"Any time. Now, you take good care of that macaw, okay?"

"You got it!"

Tulio had set up a routine that helped his job immensely, and it stayed fairly constant each day, save for the troubles - like the Military Macaw's - that arose from time to time. He would run checks on all the labs every hour, on the hour, and lend a helping hand to any of his peers that needed it.

He was basically split between two worlds: his study-oriented time at the aviary, and his personal time at his family's house.

Every time he returned home from the aviary and finished that week's coursework for the university, he had a few hours to relax and wind down before the next sunrise.

He regularly received e-mails from fellow ornithologists throughout Brazil – a large number of them friends he had made while at the university – inquiring about topics from the casual to the serious.

It was times like these - when he could converse with his equals as buddies rather than workaholic scientists – that was another facet on the diamond of his life.

It helped him gain temporary respite from the trials of his work, and for that he was thankful.

Tulio had spent nearly two hours in lab #3, and when he checked the time on the silver and gold watch on his right wrist, it was five minutes past one o'clock. He initiated another one of his hourly checkups and swept the aviary once more.

All was well on that particular rout of the aviary, and he felt a certain pride well up in him, knowing that his peers were working dutifully and tenderly. They looked to Tulio as not just a student, but also a friend and accomplice. He showed them just as much love as he did his feathered companions, and they reciprocated that love openly.

None of the thirty-five birds under Leonardo's care showed signs of slippage regarding their physical states, and so he worked with a clear mind and high spirits.

The hours ticked by steadily, as indicated by the shadows that stained the floor sliding back towards the windows and disappearing.

Despite the desiccating heat that was a common occurrence in Rio and the constant action going on inside the aviary, the building was comfortably cool and inviting. A certain freshness filled the air, and each breath seemed to infuse the humans with energy and dedication.

Being as Leonardo's workers had the birds under control, Tulio was tasked with visiting the enclosure with the two Spix's macaws and see how they were getting on. He would assess the situation first with the surveillance cam, and then if it was warranted, he would journey into the enclosure and extract the macaws for more intense information gathering.

He passed through the door on the right side of the main room and turned to the right, making his way through another doorway and into the control room. He sat down in the comfy leather chair and flicked the TV on that provided the feed.

After the screen brightened to life, he slowly raked the camera's gaze across the enclosure with the mini-joystick.

He spied the two macaws on the small log that spanned the meandering river below.

They were chatting happily, and Tulio felt his heart beat faster at the thought that they had actually grown closer.

That wishful thinking was dashed when, at several times throughout their interaction, the male attempted to hug the female. She kept him at bay with her wing; she wanted no part of his advances.

She then flew off in frustration, leaving the male alone on the branch.

The male was fastidious in his desires, and he left the branch in pursuit.

_I knew it! _He exclaimed mentally. _She is so adverse to companionship that its unreal! She is one free-spirited macaw, that's for sure. How can I get her to understand that there's not many of her kind left? Will I ever find the answer? Will I ever __find it, before it's too late..._

The disastrous thoughts boiled inside his head, and he sat in the chair pondering possible solutions.

He did not have much time to do so, for he heard a raucous screeching blast from the speakers. As he whipped his head back to the screen, aquamarine feathers began to float down across the camera's field of view. He knew immediately that the female was making her feelings known to the other in a physical manner.

"Great. She's attacking the male! I have to get in there!"

He sped from the control room and charged through the door on his right.

The shrieking assaulted his hearing, and he pinpointed its source to be coming from directly above him. The female had the male pinned to a branch jutting from the tree next to him, and she was ripping his feathers out with her feet.

"Stop, Yesenia!" Tulio commanded. "He's too precious to kill! Leave him alone!"

Yesenia seemed to take heed of his shouts, and she distanced herself from the male by flying to the opposite corner of the enclosure and hiding.

The distressed male toppled from the branch, and Tulio deftly caught him. He let out a pleading squawk as the human cradled him and inspected his body. Cuts that crosshatched his belly were oozing blood, and the macaw was shedding what looked like tears.

"Hey, it's okay, buddy. I'll get you fixed up as soon as possible. I think your stay at my aviary has been terminated, thanks to Yesenia. I'll release you back into the wild as soon as you're healed."

The macaw squawked again, but it was due to the pain of his wounds. Tulio knew that the macaw hadn't understood a word of what he had said.

"Just stay calm, Mario. We're out of here..."

Tulio strode from the room with a certain haste, anger and frustration evident in his gait.

_Now what do I do? Without Mario here to breed with her, how will the Spix's macaw survive? Oh Jewel, why must you be so stubborn? If only you could understand human language, this would be so much easier..._

Tulio crossed the sun-lit room and entered into lab #4, and the sight of the battered macaw caused many gasps to emerge from the onlookers.

Tulio set about treating the macaw's wounds, and he knew that little else could be done to save his species.

The continued interference of humans would surely push the magnificent birds over the edge and into the abyss of extinction.

_Please let me find just one more male... or a different female... out there. I don't care if I have to have them sent from Italy! Yesenia has to find a mate. Time is running out..._


	9. And Then There Were Two

**Chapter 9: And Then There Were Two**

A fairly young boy lay curled up peacefully in his bed, beneath a mocha-colored blanket. The glaring sunlight was heavily filtered by an ochre-tinted curtain draped over the window embedded in the wall opposite the door.

The combination of the forest green walls and low level of sunlight lent the room an overcast and gloomy feel. No sound – save for the sleeping boy's breathing – was detectable.

All was peaceful in this darkened shell of a room, until the moment when the door received a series of stern blows from a clenched hand. The string of banging noises was accompanied by a mellow yet serious female voice: "Fernando, get up. It's twelve forty-five already! You better hurry if you want to eat lunch!"

Whatever pleasant dreams Fernando was having were brutally cut short due to his mother's voice. He threw the covers off with a frustrated flourish and sat up on the edge of the bed.

Rubbing his eyes, he replied, "I'm up, I'm up! I'll be down in five minutes..."

"Okay, Fernando. I just don't know how you can sleep this late..."

Fernando left the bed in one fluid motion and hobbled across the room to his closet, which was nestled behind a three-panel door that folded like an accordion. He slid the panels out of the way and scoured the rack for a fitting shirt.

Fernando kept his closet fairly organized – not by his own accord, but because his mother forced him to.

Before long, he found his eyes darting over the sleeveless shirt section, drawn to his absolute favorite one of them all.

_Yes! I'm going to wear this one. There's no telling how hot it's going to be outside, so I better put on something comfortable..._

He plucked the yellow shirt bordered – bordered with dark green material down the sides and around the arm holes – and slipped it over his bare chest. The shirt fit comfortably yet somewhat loosely, the feeling of which caused him to sigh with contentment.

He shut the folding door before strutting to the dresser at the foot of his bed. He slid out the top drawer and deftly plucked out a pair of comfy socks. He sank down onto the bed and stretched his legs out so that he could get the socks on easier.

The cool cotton nuzzled his feet dreamily as he slipped them on and after a moment of reveling in the feel, he left he bed and started for the rich brown door that sealed off his room. The door swung open on its hinges without a sound as Fernando walked out into the hall.

He closed the door with a certain haste before tromping down the solid oak stairs.

The smells of delicious food items rushed up to greet him, and so enticing were the odors that he nearly stumbled down the last few steps. He regained his balance before hitting the wooden floor face-first, but that loss of balance caused him to land heavily and awkwardly.

The deep thud of his feet pulsed across the house, and from the kitchen he heard his mother ask, "Fernando, are you okay? Did you fall down the stairs again?"

He ambled towards the kitchen and replied, "I'm fine. The food just smells so good! What are you making?"

He cut across the corner of the living room before turning left and entering the kitchen. A wall of luscious aromas stopped him dead, stirring his senses with hints of meat, vegetables, and spices.

On the far side of the kitchen, to the right of him, was the rest of his family, clustered around an oval-shaped table. His five year old brother was pounding the table and cooing nonstop, his seven year old sister was trying to console the excited youngster by yelling at him, and his father had his face buried in a newspaper, oblivious to the feisty children before him.

Fernando sidled up beside his mother, peering down at a good-sized pot filled with orange-colored juice, chunks of beef, beans, and slices of carrots. The tantalizing aromas and ingredients instantly registered in his brain, revealing the identity of the soup in the pot.

"This is _feijoada_, isn't it?"

"_Sim_, Fernando! It should be ready to eat very soon. Go sit down at the table until it's done cooking." **{Yes}**

Fernando nodded merrily and crossed the tile floor, his smooth socks sliding about beneath him and making it hard to walk. He managed to pull out a chair and plop down in it before ending up on the floor for the second time in less than five minutes.

_I really need to be more careful! I can't play soccer with Anthony and his friends if I break my ankle! I better start putting my shoes on before I walk around the house with slippery socks..._

The minutes ticked by slowly, and Fernando was getting quite annoyed with his brother's constant gurgling and his sister's vain attempts at silencing him.

"Mama, Julian won't be quiet. He's making my head hurt!" whined Fernando's sister as she squeezed her hands over her ears and kept on yelling.

Without lifting her gaze from the pot, their mother replied, "Mario, would you please control the children? I don't think there's a miniature Carnaval parade going on in here!"

Her well-toned accent gave her words that much more authority.

Her husband lowered the newspaper and pointed at Julian while saying, "Be quiet, Julian, or Mama won't give any of us lunch!"

He then stabbed a finger at his daughter and added, "And you, Carmen, quit yelling at your brother! You are not helping."

Julian ceased his pounding and babbling as Carmen lowered her hands and slumped back in her chair with utter relief.

Mario lifted the newspaper back up and continued reading, but his wife had heard his comment perfectly.

"You are exactly right, Mario. If you don't keep them quiet, only me and Fernando will be eating lunch!"

"I love you, Denise!" came Mario's endearing reply from behind the newspaper.

"You say that every time you get in trouble! Lucky for you, I am in a good mood today..."

Denise shut off the delicate flame underneath the pot and began scooping the soup into ceramic bowls with a metal ladle. One by one, she served her family a slightly-steaming bowl of _feijoada_, causing them to lean down and suck in a whiff of the aroma.

Denise sat down last, between Julian and her husband, and handed out a spoon and fork to her family.

"Is everyone ready to eat?"

Fernando, Carmen, and Julian fixed her with expectant gazes, and even Mario stowed his newspaper out of sight and stared at her.

"_Vamos comer!_" she declared with enthusiasm. **{Let's eat!}**

With a certain mix of restraint and eagerness, the five members of Fernando's family began consuming the pleasantly warm bowls of soup before them. What they couldn't pick up with their spoons they skewered with their forks, each bite pushing them deeper and deeper into a fantasy land of flavorful, chewy goodness.

Denise had brewed quite a bit of _feijoada_, since she knew it would not be wasted.

Within ten minutes, everyone had received their second bowl of soup, consuming it just as eagerly as their first.

Fernando, Julian, and Carmen were not able to stomach anymore after that, and so they handed their completely-drained bowls plus their silverware to their mother, who set them gently down in the sink.

Carmen and Julian retired to the living room and clicked on the TV, the sounds of an apparently less-than-mature show filling the lower floor of the house.

While Fernando's parents were busy dining on their third helping of soup, he leaned against the table and asked, "Mama, Papa, can I go play soccer with Anthony today? I don't want to be stuck here and have to listen to _that _all day."

"_Vá em frente, Fernando. É sábado, e isso é uma maneira perfeita para você ficar saudável._" **{Go ahead, Fernando. It's Saturday, and that's a perfect way for you to stay healthy.}**

"I agree. If you want to grow up to be big and strong like me, you have to keep yourself active!" added his father.

Fernando's eyes gleamed with energy, and that same spark was mirrored in his parents' expressions.

"Thank you, Mama! Thank you, Papa!"

"You're welcome, son." they replied in unison.

He jumped from the table and rushed into the living-room, dashing in front of the TV and stopping next to the front door. He plucked up his slightly scuffed tennis shoes and strapped them on to his feet.

"Where are you going, Fernando?" queried Carmen innocently.

"I'm going to play soccer with Anthony."

"Are you sure? It's really hot outside!"

He put on a knowing smile and replied, "Well, we live in Rio de Janeiro. What do you expect?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. _Ter irmão divertido, e não se machucar!_" **{Have fun brother, and don't get hurt!}**

"Okay Carmen."

He flashed his sister a quick wave, and she waved back with equal fervor. Julian was too engrossed by the TV to notice.

Fernando threw the front door open and was about to march out, but his mother's voice caught him mid-stride: "Be careful, Fernando!Try not to stay gone too long, because the sun is really bright today and you can get overheated faster than you think. Drink plenty of water, okay?"

"No problem, Mama. See you later..."

Fernando resumed his stride and stepped from the porch after sealing the door shut. A blast of dry heat swamped him within seconds, making him feel ever more confident in his choice to put on his favorite shirt. The sky-blue shorts he had on also helped to reduce the effect of the heat.

The abode that Fernando had been born and raised in was by no means a perfect home, but it was many levels above the terrible conditions of the _favelas_ that the city harbored. Located on the western side of the bay, a short distance from the beach, it was surrounded by a large neighborhood of the more-prosperous houses in Rio.

_Man, they were right. It is hot out here! I hope Anthony and his buddies show up today..._

Before he decided to head out, another party of interest crossed his mind: _I better see if I can contact Ricardo. Now that I think of it, I doubt he'll show up, because he's prbably hiding somewhere out of the sun..._

Fernando walked steadily along the down-sloping street that ran past his house until he came upon the first passageway to his left. He turned away from the sidewalk and scooted down the narrow pass, stopping once he arrived in a small open space between the rear walls of the houses.

He worked his fingers into his mouth and issued a series of three short whistles, followed by one long whistle. The small space caused his whistles to be amplified as they erupted into the open air above him.

He waited for one whole minute, but Ricardo never appeared.

_I'll have to try again this evening, when the sun's gone down and the air has cooled..._

Fernando climbed back out the passage the way he had came and resumed his journey down the street. His destination was one of the local soccer fields, just one of dozens that peppered the city for obvious reasons.

The closest field to his house was stationed twenty minutes away, and was favored highly on this side of the city due to its proximity to the beach. The route from his house to that particular field was emblazoned in his brain, never to be forgotten.

His love of soccer began just a few years ago, when he kicked his first soccer-ball at the age of five. He would spend countless hours in his backyard kicking that black-and-white sphere around with his dad, and occasionally, his mom.

He had spent many days doing just that, exhausting himself regularly. He had spent just as many nights recuperating and dreaming of the previous day, always eager for more. The sport was now a vital part of him, and thus he practiced as many times as he could, wherever he could.

One of his future goals was to join Brazil's soccer team and experience his passion firsthand, in the most satisfying way possible. That dream was a long way off, but he knew he could reach it if he stayed focused and positive.

The day's searing heat made the walk seem endless, every street longer and every step shorter. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and staining his shirt by the time he made it to the field.

Before he scanned around for Anthony and his posse, he gulped water from a water fountain and sheltered beneath a row of palm trees on the left side of the field, just a few feet away from a major street. Once he had cooled off somewhat, he raked the field in the hopes of finding Anthony and the others.

He caught not a glimpse.

_Did I make this journey for nothing? Oh, why does it have to be so hot today? If I could call the clouds in to block the sun, I would. I'll wait just a little longer..._

Fernando had drifted into a light sleep just fifteen minutes later, but once again, his nap was cut short.

He awoke to see six figures clustered before him, and none other than Anthony was shaking him vigorously.

"You okay, Fernando?"

"Yeah. It's too hot to play soccer, huh?"

Anthony drew back and smiled widely before replying, "It sure is! I was wondering if you wanted to go to the beach with us and swim in the bay?"

Fernando perked up and jumped to his feet at the wonderful idea.

"Sure! I didn't even know you guys were going to show up, so that idea never came to me. Anyways, let's go! I hope the water is nice and cold."

"Great! Better than sitting at home and doing nothing, right?"

Fernando nodded and fell in beside the others as they headed across the lush green field, beige patches of sand visible just past the border of palm trees in front of them.

A quick jog brought them to the beach in under five minutes, and as soon as they hit the scorching sand, they all broke into a run and careened into the water.

They had all worn their clothes into the water, but their attire had varied little from Fernando's own.

A refreshing rush cooled Fernando's body instantly, but the shock of the water was balanced out due to the sun's heat. It was neither too chilling or too scalding, a personal Goldilocks zone that pleased him very much.

"Man, this feels great! How long do you want to stay out here?"

"All day!" shouted Marcos, Anthony's slightly older brother.

"I think we should play a game. Does anybody have an idea for one?" asked Nestor loudly.

"How about... freeze tag?" replied Fernando confidently.

"I think we've got a winner!" shouted Anthony. "And guess what... you're it Fernando!"

"Hey, no fair! I'm coming after you, Anthony!"

The Brazilian boy sloshed through the water towards his target as the others scattered in all directions...

* * *

><p>They played various types of games as the day dragged on, but as the sun fell to within a few hours of setting, they dragged their exhausted bodies from the bay and relaxed on the warm beach.<p>

They held friendly conversations and dug deep into each others recent lives, discussing things such as family happenings, school stories, and other youthful topics.

The limb of the sun eventually contacted the western horizon, staining the water the color of blood and orange juice.

Fernando said goodbye to his seven friends and sluggishly began the return journey home. His body was weary from his previous cavorting, but his mind was brimming with the afterglow of the excitement and time well spent.

He carefully navigated the streets of Rio, which were still swollen with vehicles as the grand city switched over into night mode.

He made good time back to his residence, and he was ever thankful that he had a warm house to return to.

Just before he pulled open the front door, his thoughts turned again to Ricardo: _I'm going to try one last time to get his attention. But first, I have to tell Mama and Papa how awesome today was! I hope they're not mad at me for coming in so late..._

He stepped into the soft yellow glow of the well-lit living-room and closed the door resolutely behind him. To his left, he spied his dad seated on the couch, staring intently at the TV. It was almost miraculous that he detected Fernando's entrance.

"You're late, Fernando. You are in so much trouble!"

Fernando instantly grew shameful and lowered his head.

"I'm sorry, Dad. It's just that I-"

"I'm only joking, son. It's okay! You came in before the sun set all the way, and that's all that matters. Did you get to play soccer?"

"No. It was _way _too hot. I met my friends at the soccer field, and we decided to spend the day at the beach. I had _so_ much fun, but I am _so _tired!"

"That's good. Your Mom made supper a half hour ago. She and I have already eaten, but we saved some for you and your brother and sister. They're in the kitchen eating. Are you hungry?"

"My stomach feels like a cave!"

"You better hurry up and fill it then. There's some leftover _feijoada _in the pot. It should still be warm. Go get some."

"Okay."

Fernando trotted past the couch and turned to the right, the pot of soup sitting innocently on the stove directly in front of him. He grabbed a bowl from the stack next to the sink and went over to the pot to fill it. He poured two ladle-fulls into his bowl and sat down at the table.

Carmen was on his right, casually eating her soup, while Julian was on his right, ignoring his soup completely. Carmen swallowed a mouthful and looked cheerfully at her brother.

"I heard you went to the beach instead of playing soccer. You look just as tired as you said you were."

"Really? Well, if I fall asleep on the kitchen floor, could you carry me to my room?"

Carmen raised her head and replied, "I could try. You don't weigh that much more than I do!"

"Are you calling me skinny?"

"Maybe..."

She smirked, and Fernando returned a joyful smile.

Fernando and Carmen waited for their brother to eat his soup, being as they had finished theirs well before he did. As soon as Julian had finished, Fernando took his bowl and silverware to the sink.

Now that his stomach was full, he needed to make sure that Ricardo was taken care of. As Julian and Carmen jumped down from the table and proceeded to engage in a game of hide and seek, Fernando dipped the ladle into the pot and pulled up a large chunk of meat, which he plucked out with his fingers.

He hid the piece of meat in a paper towel and crept towards the front door as naturally as possible. For the second time, he did not escape the watchful eyes of his father.

"Where are you going, son? It's getting really dark out."

"I'm just going outside for a few minutes. I'll be right back."

"Okay, but be careful. You never know who you'll run into out there..."

"Don't worry, Dad. I won't be going far."

Unbeknownst to Mario and Fernando, Julian had given up the search for his sister and started snooping around the kitchen. The gleaming knobs on the white stove caught his eye, and he jogged up to them curiously. He turned two of them to the three-quarter point and continued bouncing about the kitchen...

Fernando left the house rather quickly and jogged down the gloomy street, back towards the narrow alleyway.

Once he had positioned himself in his secret resonance chamber, he placed the paper towel on the ground and whistled his signature tune once more.

After a thirty second wait, the sound of eager wing flaps funneled into his ears. The source of the wing flaps turned out to be a falcon, who plunged gracefully into the gap between the buildings and alighted gently on Fernando's left arm.

The falcon was decorated with cinnamon streaks on his ivory underside, while his back, wings, and tail were a rich black hue. The falcon's sharp talons pricked his skin, but he fought back the pain and managed a wide smile.

"Hey, Ricardo! How are you doing tonight?"

He stroked the falcon from his head to his tail, causing him to shudder with delight and give a muted screech.

"Really? Well, I had an awesome day too, despite it being so hot! Are you hungry?"

Ricardo's yellow-rimmed eyes peered into Fernando's with child-like inquisitiveness.

"I take that as a yes..."

Fernando leaned down and snatched up the paper towel with his right hand. He lifted his left arm towards the lavender sky, causing the falcon to retreat onto his shoulder while flapping his wings for balance.

Now that both of his hands were free, he undid the paper towel and removed the still-moist chunk of pork.

"here you go, buddy! This was the biggest piece I could find..."

He brought it close to the falcon's beak, holding it carefully so that his fingers weren't stabbed by Ricardo's hooked eating utensil. He tore off a small sliver and downed it quickly before ripping off another.

"I guess you were hungry! Either that, or pork is your new favorite food..."

Once Ricardo had consumed the wad of meat, Fernando sat down in a small recess between two houses. Although he knew quite well the falcon couldn't understand him, he still maintained a dialogue with the bird.

They had grown very close to each other ever since their meeting just one year prior. He knew not how or why the bird came to Rio, but he had found the falcon sleeping peacefully on the back porch one morning. The bird was just so innocent, lively, and charming that he couldn't get rid of him.

He essentially gave the bird rudimentary training sessions and routinely offered him food. The bird would usually fly away for the entire day, but he would always return around sunset to receive food from his human friend.

Fernando eventually designed a whistle that the bird would recognize and immediately answer to if he was within earshot.

Their bond was nurtured from sketchy to unbreakable during their first year together, but it Fernando took utmost care in hiding Ricardo away from his parents. They were not very fond of pets, and being as Carmen, Julian, and Fernando were still relatively young, they needed to save as much money as possible.

Mario and Denise were by no means rich, and when money grew tight, life was tough. They had their good months and their bad months, but they would never allow their children to end up on the street or go without food. Thus, Ricardo was Fernando's dirty little secret from the start, and that would probably never change.

It wasn't something he was very proud of, but everytime he peered into the falcon's glossy black eyes, his guilt always became bearable.

Once Fernando concluded his chat with his avian friend, he left the recess and strode out of the passageway. He stopped just as he came to the sidewalk of his street and motioned for the falcon to climb back down onto his arm.

Once he did so, Fernando stroked his fuzzy head and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, buddy. Be careful out there, wherever you go..."

Right before he raised his arm, a deafening blast pounded his ears and threw him to the ground. Ricardo leaped from Fernando's arm as he fell, landing beside the human in a storm of frightened screeches and wing flaps.

A serpentine column of smoke rose rapidly into the sky, capped with a mushroom-shaped cloud. Moments later, shards of scorched wood, broken glass, and bits of brick rained down from the sky all around them. The falcon was still panicked, and Fernando feared for his safety amongst the falling debris.

"Ricardo, calm down! I need to see what happened, and I can't focus with you making all that noise!"

He grabbed the falcon and held him against his body, securing his wings with a firm hold. As Fernando scanned the row of houses up ahead, on the left side of the street, he noticed a glaring break in the once-perfect line. One house was nothing but a pile of burning debris, and the smoke seemed to be rising from that very house.

"Oh no! Someone's house exploded! I need to go make sure my family is-"

Fernando's sentence lodged in his throat as he realized it was more than someone's house. It was _his _house.

Fernando stood up – with Ricardo back on his arm – and walked straight for the mound of wreckage, his heart sinking lower and lower with each step he took.

"No. No. No! NO!"

The once-modest two-story house was no more, along with the rest of Fernando's family. Fernando collapsed to his knees just one foot away from the mound, choking and spluttering from the realization that crushed him.

"They're all... dead! My whole family... is gone..."

The tears flowed freely from his eyes, steaming as they came in contact with a twisted piece of metal. The falcon slowly lowered his head, as if he was somehow able to sense Fernando's infinite anguish due to his proximity.

People had begun to filter from the neighboring houses, but none were brave enough to come as close to the disaster site as Fernando. He knelt there like a statue, unmoving, and yet still pouring out tears.

The distant wail of fire trucks grew louder and louder, and not ten minutes after the explosion, a massive fire truck had parked itself on the street a few feet to the right of Fernando.

A fireman came up to him and lifted him to his feet, sending Ricardo dashing off in the process.

"_Você sabe o que aconteceu? Esta é a sua casa?_" **{Do you know what happened? Is this your house?}**

"_Que costumava ser. Minha família inteira foi morta na explosão!_" **{It used to be. My whole family was killed in the explosion!}**

Fernando watched as a thick stream of water doused the wreckage, extinguishing the flames and unleashing a rancid smell.

A trio of firefighters began to scour the remains of the house, and Fernando turned away in fear.

"_Sinto muito. Existe alguma maneira podemos ajudá-lo? Você quer dormir na estação de fogo hoje à noite?_" **{I am sorry. Is there anything way we can help you? Do you want to sleep at the fire station tonight?}**

Fernando stared up at the firefighter before him and choked out, "_Não! Me deixe em paz! Ninguém pode me ajudar agora..._" **{No! Just leave me alone! No ****one can help me now...}**

Fernando broke away from the firefighter's grip and charged through the crowd that had gathered, oblivious to their shouts of surprise and sorrowful gazes.

Fernando charged down his private passageway and ran for one solid minute. Once he was out of breath, he curled up against somebody's back porch and huddled up like an abandoned child.

He was unable to cry any more tears, and so he shivered with internal agony and infinite loss.

_They're all gone! I have no one except my falcon left! How is he going to replace them? He can't. He just can't. Still, he's the only friend I have. I don't know what to do. How do I move on? Is life even worth living anymore? All I am now is a homeless boy... just like so many others..._

He worked his trembling fingers into his mouth and called out a ragged version of his normally clear whistle. He dropped his arms to the dusty ground and waited for Ricardo to show up.

Less than a minute later, the sound of wing-flaps and talons scrabbling on the ground alerted him to Ricardo's presence. The falcon rubbed himself against Fernando's left side, mournful chirps issuing from his beak.

"It's just me and you now, buddy. If it wasn't for you, I would've given up. We'll face the big and scary world together, and we'll make it through..."

Fernando wrapped his left arm meekly around the falcon's sensuous feathers and slumped against the side of the porch.

Fernando was on his own now, and Ricardo's friendship was the only thing thing keeping him from going under.

Life was going to be more difficult than he had ever imagined, but he would not give up. He would always remember his family, but he was still required to move on as best he could.

He knew the past could never be changed, but he still clung to a shred of hope that he could still change his future.

True, there was bound to be many trials and tribulations on the long and lonely road ahead, but somehow, someway, he would pull through. With Ricardo by his side to comfort him and empower him, he realized that there wasn't a single thing he couldn't overcome...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Finally! *Wipes sweat from forehead and lets out a massive sigh.* This prelude to Rio is finally finished!**

**I sincerey thank all of those who lent me their OC's for this story. The chapters would've been less complete without them.**

**Well, now I can devote the rest of my energy to BNW and my crossover (which hasn't been updated for over a month.) I'm still planning on writing a sequel for my crossover, but that will take some time. Expect it to be up sometime in October.**

**Now that my AN is out of the way, all I have to say is... see you guys later!**


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